One film could fill multiple items.
Example: Dracula would fill one for decade, rating, actor, vampire, based on novel, and maybe others as well.
Use a * to mark first time viewings.
Change "---" to "-X-" or some similar mark when you have completed that line item.

Provide a link to your list in your signature.
Review it. Even if it's just a mini-review, a simple thumbs up / thumbs down or one word description.
Create a list in advance of what you plan to watch utilizing a site such as: iCheckMovies | Listal | Listology | FlickChart | Ranker.
If you're indecisive and can't decide what to watch next the List Randomizer (via random.org) can help.
If you're doing a checklist, putting it in a spoiler tag makes the list thread much easier to read.
Increase your coffee consumption.
Insomniac? Use your disadvantage to your advantage!
Work from home? Ditto.
Skip the supplemental material ...there's always November for that!
Boredom setting in? Watch another movie!
Stay within your comfort level and try not to get too caught up in the numbers.
ENJOY YOURSELF!

Extend the conversation by joining our new Facebook Page.
(The old group is being 'archived' ...whatever the hell that means.)

Extend it even further by joining our Google+ Circle.
Just ask if you need an invite.

In Memoriam. (2009 - 2011)

Xbox users -- Have a Netflix Party:

Spoiler:

Are you a Netflix subscriber with an Xbox gold membership? Wanna have a NETFLIX PARTY?
If so, post your gamertag or send it via PM to Mister Peepers.

SEND A FRIEND REQUEST TO DVDTalkHorror to join the parties.

Feel free to host a party whenever you want.
If you're watching something check the DVDTalkHorror friend's list and invite people!

Just go to Friends ---> DVDTalkHorror ---> Personal Profile ---> View Friends.
And then you can just invite whoever is online on that list into a party.

Recently, Microsoft updated the Netflix player on the 360. Among the changes is the addition called 'Netflix Parties'. Basically someone is a host and invites people to watch a movie together. Everyone watches it at the same time, and we can communicate w/ voice during the movie.

You need an Xbox 360, a gold account, and a Netflix subscription. There's only one catch: For right now, Starz Play and Disney movies are not allowed to be used for parties.

We can use this thread to pick out movies and times to watch them. We can try to vary things up.

While we can watch classics or stuff we've all seen, I think it would be interesting to check out stuff that the entire group may not have watched. We could even take a gamble and watch god knows what. I think even some riffing on intentionally bad movies could be good for a laugh if done sparingly.

October 28th
147. American Horror Story S1 E3 "Murder House"/ American Horror Story S1 E4 "Halloween Part 1"
148. Shredder
149. Masters of Horror: Valerie on the Stairs
150. Masters of Horror: We All Scream For Ice Cream
151. Fear Itself: The Circle

Venture Into the Literary World:-x- Read a Horror Novel or Novella OPTIONAL - The Exorcist (1971) by William Peter Blatty

Personal Additions to Checklist:-x- Watch an anime horror title - Bio Hunter
-x- Watch a film based on a comic book/graphic novel - Priest
-x- Watch a TV miniseries - Rose Red
-x- Watch a full season of a TV series - The Walking Dead: Season 1

Watch films in at least three languages other than English:--- First language, (Espanol), ([REC]2 '09).--- Second language, (Francais), (The Horde '09).--- Third language, (Cantonese/Mandarin), (Dumplings '04).

Aaah! Zombies!!
The Addiction
Alice, Sweet Alice
A L I E N
All Souls Day: Dia de los Muertos
Alligator
The Aligator People
Alone in the Dark (1982)
Alone in the Dark II
The Abandoned
The Abominable Dr. Phibes
The Amityville Horror (2005)
Amityville II:The Possession
Amityville 3-D
Amusement
An American Haunting
An American Werewolf in London
The Ape
The Ape Man
Art of the Devil
Aswang
Asylum
Asylum of Satan
At Midnight, I'll take your soul
Attack of the Crab Monsters
Attack of the Giant Leeches
Audition
August Underground's Mordum
Automaton Transfusion
Awakening of the Beast
Baby Blues
The Baby's Room
Bachelor Party Massacre
Bad Biology
Baron Blood
Barracuda
The Bat
The Bat People
Basket Case
Bay of Blood
The Beach Girls and the Monster
Beast from Haunted Cave
Beast of Blood
The Beast with a Million Eyes
The Beast Within
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
Believers (2007)
Below
Berserk
Beware! The Blob
Beyond Re-Animator
Beyond The Darkness
Beyond The Door
Big Bad Wolf
Billy the Kid vs. Dracula
Bitten
Black Belly of the Tarantula
Black Candles
The Black Cat (1934)
Black Friday
Blackenstein
Black Magic (1975)
Black Mamba
The Black Room
Black Sabbath
The Black Sleep
Black Voodoo Exorcist
Blacula
The Blair Witch Project
A Blade in the Dark
The Body Snatcher
The Blob (1988)
Blood: The Last Vampire
Blood and Black Lace
Blood and Lace
Blood and Roses
Blood Bath
Blood Feast
Blood for Dracula
Blood Freak
Blood of Dracula
Blood of Dracula's Castle
Blood Of The Mummy's Tomb
Blood of the Vampire
The Blood Spattered Bride
Blood Suckers
Blood Thirst
Bloodthirsty Butchers
Bloodlust:Subspeices II
Bloodsucking Freaks
Bloody Moon
Bloody Murder 2: Closing Camp
Bloody New Year
Bloody Pit of Horror
Bloody Reunion
Bloodwood Cannibals
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2
Boardinghouse
The Body Snatcher
Bones
The Boogens
The Boogeyman (1980)
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Brain Damage
The Brain Eaters
The Brain That Wouldn't Die
The Brainiac
The Breed
Breeders
Bride of Chucky
Bride of Frankenstein
Bride of the Gorilla
Bride of the Monster
Brides of Blood
The Brides of Dracula
The Brood
Brotherhood of Blood
Brotherhood of the Wolf (Director's Cut)
Brutal
The Brute Man
Burial Ground: The Nights of Terror
Buried Alive (2007), Buried Alive (1990)
The Burning
The Butcher
Cabin Fever
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
The Call of Cthulhu
Caltiki, The Immortal Monster
Calvaire
Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh
Cannibal Apocalypse
Cannibal Ferox
Cannibal Girls
Cannibal Holocaust
The Cape Canaveral Monsters
Captivity
Carrie
Carnival of Blood
Carnival of Souls (Original)
Carver
Castle Freak
Cat Girl
Cat in the Brain
Cat People (1942)
Cathy's Curse
The Cell
Cemetary Man
The Changeling
Le Chaudron Infernal
The Children (1980)
Children of the Corn
Children of the Corn 666: Isaac's Return
Child's Play (1-3)
Chopping Mall
Christine
C.H.U.D.
The Church
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
The Collector
Color Me Blood Red
The Comedy of Terrors
The Company of Wolves
The Corpse Grinders
Corridors of Blood
Corruption
Countess Dracula
Crazy Eights
Creature from the Black Lagoon
Creature from the Haunted Sea
Creature Unknown
The Creature Walks Among Us
Creature with the Atom Brain
The Cremator
Creep (2004)
Creepshow 2
Critters
Cronos
Cry of the Werewolf
Crypt of Dark Secrets
Crypt of the Living Dead
The Curse of the Cat People
Curse of the Faceless Man
The Curse of Frankenstein
Curse of the Fly
Curse of the Headless Horseman
The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb
Damien:Omen II (
Daughter of Horror
Daughters of Satan
Darkness (2002)
The Dark Half
Dark House
Dark Night of the Scarecrow
Dark Town
Dark Water
Dark Water (Remake)
Darkness Falls
Dawn of the Dead, Dawn of the Dead (Remake)
Dawn of the Mummy
Daughters of Darkness
The Day of the Beast
Day of the Dead, Day of the Dead (Remake)
Day of the Dead 2: Contagium
The Day of the Triffids
Decadent Evil
Dead & Breakfast
Dead Alive
Dead End (2003)
The Dead Hate the Living!
Dead Men Walk
Dead of Night (1945)
Dead Snow
The Dead Zone
Demented
Demonic Toys
Deranged
Death Bed: The Bed That Eats
Death by Dialogue
The Death Curse of Tartu
Death Smiles on a Murderer
Death Weekend
Deathdream
Delirium (1987)
Deep Red
Demons 2
The Descent
Desert of Blood
The Devil Bat
Devil Bat's Daughter
The Devil-Doll
Devil Hunter
Devil Times Five
The Devil Within Her
The Devil's Backbone
The Devil's Bride
The Devil's Hand
Devil's Nightmare
Devil's Plaything
The Devil's Rejects
The Devils
Devils of Darkness
Diabolique (1955)
Diary of the Dead
Die, Monster, Die!
Dismal
Doctor Blood's Coffin
Doctor Gore
Doctor X
Dolls
Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist
Don't Go in the House
Don't Look in the Basement!
Don't Go In The Woods
Don't Look Now
The Dorm That Dripped Blood
Dr. Black and Mr. Hyde
Dr. Cyclops
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1907),(1920),(1932),(1941)
Dr Jekyll & Sister Hyde
Dr. Phibes Rises Again
Dr. Renault's Secret
Dr. Terror's House of Horrors
Dracula (1931), Dracula (1979)
Dracula (1931) (Spanish version)
Dracula A.D. 1972
Dracula Has Risen from the Grave
Dracula: Prince of Darkness
Dracula,The Dirty Old Man
Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein
Dracula vs Frankenstein
Dracula's Daughter
Dreamaniac
The Driller Killer
Drive-In Massacre
The Dunwich Horror
Eaten Alive (1976)
Ebola Syndrome
El vampiro
The Eerie Midnight Horror Show
Embrace of the Vampire
The Entity
Eternal Evil
Evil Bong
The Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2
Evil Dead Trap
Evil Eye
The Evil of Frankenstein
Evil Spawn
Evil Toons
Evilspeak
Exorcist The Beginning
The Exorcist-version you've never seen
The Exorcist III
The Eye (Pang Bros)
The Eye (2008)
The Eye 2
Eyeball
Eyes Without a Face
The Faculty
The Fearless Vampire Killers
Feast
Fido
Final Destination
The Final Destination
The First Power
5ive Girls
Flavia The Heretic
The Flesh and Blood Show
The Flesh and the Fiends
Flesh for Frankenstein
Flesh for the Beast
The Fog (1980)
The Fourth Kind
The Fly (1986)
Frailty
Frankenstein (1910)
Frankenstein (1931)
Frankenstein 80
Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell
Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed
The Frankenstein Syndrome
Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks
Frankenstein's Daughter
Freaks
Freddy Vs Jason
Frenzy
Friday The 13th (I-VIII)
The Frighteners
Fright Night, Fright Night Part 2
Frightmare
Frogs
From Beyond
From Beyond the Grave
From Dusk 'til Dawn
From Hell
Frontier(s)
Frozen
The Funhouse
The Fury of the Wolfman
Ganja & Hess
The Gate
The Ghastly Ones
The Ghost (1963)
Ghost Ships of the Blind Dead
Ghost Story (1981)
Ghosts of Mars
The Ghoul (1933)
Giallo
The Giant Claw
The Giant Gila Monster
Ginger Snaps, Ginger Snaps II:Unleashed
The Girl Next Door
The Girl Who Knew Too Much
God Told Me To
Gojira
Godzilla Raids Again
The Golem
Gothic
Gozu
Graduation Day
Graveyard Shift (1987)
Grindhouse (3-Hour Theatrical Cut)
The Grudge
The Gruesome Twosome
Guinea Pig-Mermaid in a manhole
Gutterballs
Hatchet, Hatchet II
Hatchet for the Honeymoon
Halloween,Halloween (2007)
Halloween II ,Halloween II (2009)
Hallucinations in a Deranged Mind
The Hand (1981)
The Haunted Castle (1921)
The Haunted Strangler
Haute Tension
The Hearse
Heartstopper
Hell of the Living Dead
Hell Night
Hellbound: Hellraiser II
Hellgate
Hellraiser
Hellraiser: Bloodline
Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth
Hellraiser-Hellseeker
Hellraiser-Inferno
The Hideous Sun Demon
The Hills Have Eyes (2006)
The Hills Have Eyes Part II (1985)
The Hollow
Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers
Homicidal
The Horde
Horror Express
Horror Hotel
Horror House (1969)
Horror of Dracula
Horror Rises from the Tomb
Horsemen
Hostel
Hostel: Part II
House by the Cemetary
House of Dracula
House of Frankenstein
House of 9
House of 1000 Corpses
House of The Devil,The House of the Devil (1896)
House of the Dead
House of Usher
House of Wax (Original),House of Wax (2005)
House of Whipcord
House on Haunted Hill (1959),House on Haunted Hill (1999)
The House on Sorority Row
The House That Dripped Blood
How to Make a Monster
The Howling
Howling II: ...Your Sister Is a Werewolf
The Human Monster
Humanoids of the Deep
Humongous
The Hunger
I Am Omega
I Bury The Living
I Dismember Mama
I Drink Your Blood
I Eat Your Skin
I Know What You Did Last Summer
I Walked With a Zombie
I Was a Teenage Werewolf
I'll Never Die Alone
Idle Hands
Igor and the Lunatics
Ils (Them)
Images in a Convent
In a Dark Place
In the Mouth of Madness
The Incredible Melting Man
Incubus (1965)
Infection
Inferno
Inseminoid
Insidious
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Island of Fury
The Invisible Ghost
The Invisible Ray
The Innocents
Isolation
Isle of the Dead
It!
It Came from Outer Space
It's Alive! (1969)
It's Alive!
Jason Goes to Hell
Jason X
Jaws 2
Jennifer's Body
Jeepers Creepers,Jeepers Creepers 2
Jungle Holocaust
Kids Go to the Woods... Kids Get Dead
Kill! Baby Kill!
The Killer Must Kill Again
King of the Zombies
Konga
The Kiss of the Vampire
Lady Frankenstein
The Lady and The Monster
Laid to Rest
The Lair of the White Worm
Land of the Dead
The Last Exorcism
The Last Horror Film
The Last House on Dead End Street
The Last House on The Left (2009)
The Last Winter
Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III
The Legend of Boggy Creek
The Legend of Hell House
The Legend of Sorrow Creek
Legion
The Leopard Man
Leprechaun
Let Sleeping Corpses Lie
Lisa and The Devil
The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane
The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)
The Living Corpse
Living Dead Girl
London After Midnight (Re-construction)
Lord of Illusions
The Lost Boys
Mad Love (1935)
The Mad Monster
Mad Monster Party?
Madman
Magic
The Maid
Maléfique
Man Made Monster
The Man They Could Not Hang
The Man Who Changed His Mind
The Manitou
The Manster
Mark of the Devil
Mark of the Vampire
Martyrs
Mask Maker
The Masque of the Red Death
The Mephisto Waltz
Meridian
Midnight Movie
Mighty Peking Man
Mill of the Stone Women
The Mist
The Mothman Prophecies
Mimic 3-Sentinel
Miner's Massacre
Monster A Go-Go
The Monster Walks
Monsters Crash the Pajama Party
The Monster Maker
The Monster of Piedras Blancas
Motel Hell
The Mountain of the Cannibal God
Mr. Sardonicus
The Mummy (1932), The Mummy (1959)
The Mummy's Curse
The Mummy's Hand
The Mummy's Shroud
The Mummy's Tomb
Murder-Set-Pieces
Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
Mustang Sally
Mutants
My Bloody Valentine (1981)
Mystery of the Wax Museum
Naked Massacre
The Naked Witch (1961)
Necronomicon: Book of Dead
Nekromantik
Near Dark
Neon Maniacs
The Nesting
New Year's Evil
The New York Ripper
Nightbreed
Night Creatures
The Night Evelyn Came out of Her Grave
Night Fright
Night of Bloody Horror
Night of the Blood Beast
Night of the Creeps
Night of the Demon (1980)
Night of the Demons (2010), Night of the Demons (1988)
Night of the Lepus
Night of the Living Dead (1968), Night of the Living Dead (1990)
Night of the Scarecrow
Night School
A Night to Dismember
Night Train Murders
Night Train to Terror
Nightmare (1964)
Nightmare (2005)
Nightmare Castle
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1-6), A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)
Nightmares Come At Night
Nightmares in a Damaged Brain
976-EVIL
No Man's Land: The Rise of Reeker
Nosferatu (1922)
Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht
Not Like Us
The Nude Vampire
The Oblong Box
The Old Dark House
The Omen (Original)
Open Water, Open Water 2
100 Tears
One-Eyed Monster
Orca
The Other
Panic Beats
Paranoiac
Paranormal Activity 3
Peeping Tom
Phantasm
Phantasm II
Phantasm IV-Oblivion
The Phantom Carriage
The Phantom of the Opera (1925),The Phantom of the Opera (1962)
Phantoms
Phenomena
Philosophy of a Knife
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)
Pieces
Pig Hunt
Pin
Piranha (1978)
The Pit
The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
The Plague of the Zombies
Popcorn
Possession
The Possession of David O'Reilly
Premonition
Primal
Prime Evil
The Prowler
Premature Burial
Premutos
Prince of Darkness
Prom Night, Prom Night (Remake)
The Prophecy (1995)
Psyched by the 4D Witch
Psycho (1960),Psycho (1998)
Psycho 2
Psycho 3
Pulse (2001)
The Pumpkin Karver
Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings, Pumpkinhead: Blood Feud
Puppetmaster
Quarantine
Quatermass and the Pit
Queen of the Damned
Race with the Devil
Rabid
The Rage
The Rape of the Vampire
Rattlers
The Raven (1935),The Raven
Raw Meat
[Rec]
[Rec] ²
Re-Animator
Red Hook
The Red Spectre
The Red Queen Kills Seven Times
Redneck Zombies
Repo! The Genetic Opera
The Reptile
Resident Evil: Extinction
Rest Stop
Return of Dracula
Return of the Ape Man
Return of the Evil Dead
Return of the Fly
Return of the Living Dead
Return of the Living Dead Part III
Return of the Vampire
The Revenge of Dr. X
The Revenge of Frankenstein
The Revenge of the Living Dead Girls
Revenge of the Zombies
Revolt of the Zombies
The Rig
Ringu
Rock 'n' Roll Frankenstein
Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare
Roger Corman's Frankenstein Unbound
The Ruins
Salvage
Satan's Little Helper
Satan's Slave
Satanis: The Devil's Mass
The Satanic Rites of Dracula
Satanico Pandemoniun
Sauna
Savage Country
Saw (I-V)
The Serpent and The Rainbow
Severance
Sex Medusa
The Scarlet Claw
Scars of Dracula
Scrapbook
Scream and scream again
Scream Bloody Murder
Screamtime
Screaming Dead
The Screaming Skull
The Sentinel
Shaun of the Dead
The Shuttered Room
She-Wolf of London
Shivers
Sick Nurses
Silver Bullet
Simon, King of the Witches
The Skeleton Crew
Skeleton Key
The Skeptic
The Skull
The Silence of the Lambs
Silent Night, Bloody Night
Silent Night, Deadly Night
Slaughter Hotel
Slaughtered Vomit Dolls
Sleepaway Camp 2:Unhappy Campers,Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland
A Slit-Mouthed Woman
Slither
Smash Cut
The Snake People
Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror
Sorority House Massacre
Spider Baby
Society
Someone's Knocking at the Door
Son of Frankenstein
Son of Dr. Jekyll
Son of Ingagi
Squirm
Stacy
Staunton Hill
Stephen King's It
Sting of Death
Strait-Jacket
The Strangers (2008)
Strangeland
Strangler of the Swamp
Street Trash
Strip Nude For Your Killer
Student Bodies
Subspeices
Succubus
Suck
Sugar Hill (1974)
Suspiria
Sutures
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
A Tale of Two Sisters
Tales of Terror (1962)
Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight
Tales from the Crypt: Bordello of Blood
Tarantula
Taste The Blood of Dracula
Teenage Zombies
Teeth
The Telling
The Tenant
Terror (1978)
Terror of Frankenstein
Terror in the Aisles
Terror Train
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974),The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
Texas Chainsaw Massacre-The Beginning
Theater of Blood
The Thing (1982)
Thirst (1979)
13 Ghosts (1960)
30 Days of Night
The Tingler
2001 Maniacs
Tokyo Gore Police
The Tomb (2009)
The Tomb of Ligeia
Tombs of the Blind Dead
The Toolbox Murders (2004)
The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism
Torture Garden
The Town That Dreaded Sundown
Tower of London (1963)
Tragic Ceremony
Trailer Park of Terror
Transylmania
Trauma
Tremors
Triangle
Trick R Treat
Trilogy of Terror
TrollHunter
The Tripper
Turistas
The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll
The Unborn
The Undertaker and His Pals
The Undying Monster
The Unanamable
The Unseen
The Untold Story
UrotsukidÃ´ji-Legend of the Overfiend
Uzumaki
Vamp
The Vampire (1957)
The Vampire Bat
Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl
Vampires: Los Muertos
Vampyr
The Vault of Horror
Vegas Vampires
Venom (2002)
Village of the Damned (1960)
A Virgin Among the Living Dead
Voodoo Island
Voodoo Man
Voodoo Woman
The Walking Dead (1936)
The War of the Gargantuas
The Ward
The Wasp Woman
Watch me when I kill
Werewolf in a Girls' Dormitory
Werewolf in a Women's Prison
Werewolf of London
Werewolf Woman
The Werewolf's Shadow
Wes Craven's New Nightmare
When a Stranger Calls (1979)
Who Can Kill a Child?
Who Saw Her Die?
White Zombie
Wild Country
Wishmaster, Wishmaster 2, Wishmaster 3
The Wizard of Gore (2007)
Wolf
Wolf Blood
Wolf Creek
Wolfen
The Wolfman
The Wolf Man
Wrong Turn
Zombie Honeymoon
Zombie 2
Zombie Strippers!
Zombies on Broadway
Zombies! Zombies! Zombies!

October 5
14. The Horde
15. London After Midnight
16. Night Of The Day Of The Dawn Of The Son Of The Bride Of The Return Of The Revenge Of The Terror Of The Attack Of The Evil, Mutant, Hellbound, Flesh-Eating Subhumanoid Zombified Living Dead, Part 3
17. Hellraiser 8: Hellworld

October 30
102. The Possession of David O'Reilly
103. Never Sleep Again special features
104. Never Sleep Again more special features
105. Rifftrax Live: House on Haunted Hill bonus feature short / Ugly Americans: The Ring of Powers / Ugly Americans: Attack of Mark's Clone / Never Sleep Again even more special features

This year, I'm going to try to have all movies be first time viewings, with only 3 allowances for previously seen titles on Halloween. Or whatever keeps me at 97% FTV if I manage to go over 100. Overall goal this year is to get 100 titles watched. Probably won't be able to watch all the subset films due to my FTV goal, but I do plan on participating in the checklist and theme nights as much as possible. I'm currently unemployed and the only potential hiccups are family health appointments and my daily job search. Other than that, this should be a good year.

I may not update this post every day, but I will be keeping real time updates when I start a new movie on my twitter if anyone feels like checking in.

WARNING: Spoilers for films may follow in the descriptions and tallies.☼ = First Time ViewingVHSDVDBluNetflix StreamingTheatrical

2.Flesh for Frankenstein (1973) ☼- One gets the impression that every shot used in the film was the first take, but the humor overshadows the stiff acting. Well shot, as well. Grade: C+
1 decapitation, 1 pointless clubbing of decapitated body, 1 death by crushing, 1 strangulation, 1 very long spearing just for 3D's sake, 3 disembowelments, gall bladder abuse, 2 creatures Frankensteined

3.Blood for Dracula (1974) ☼- This movie was glorious. I had a lot more fun with this one than with Flesh. I was laughing pretty heartily the whole way through. It was also nice to see a Dracula movie where Dracula wasn't the biggest prick in the story.Grade: B+2 neck bites, 1 knife to the belly, 1 bullet to the head, 4 limbs lost, 2 stakes through the heart, "wurgin" abuse

4.Wrestlemaniac (2006) ☼- This had a fun sense of humor at times which is really the only thing dragging it up past other similar recent DTV slashers. Also, the music never failed to make me smile. Grade: C-
1 boom shadow, 3 face rips, dental abuse, 1 slit throat, 1 back break, gratuitous ass shots, 2 spearings

6.Tombs of the Blind Dead (1971) ☼- I love the look and atmosphere of the film, but for some reason I couldn't really invest myself in it. Even still, I recognize the quality within the film and the Knights are certainly memorable creatures. Grade: B
4 dead by zombie nibbles, 1 virgin sacrifice, 1 burning, 1 limb lost, 5 sword deaths

7.The Return of the Evil Dead (1973) ☼- There's much more going on in this sequel, but I felt myself caring even less. The reliance on the same basic plot as many zombie films may have been the culprit. But still, a quality film. Grade: B-
ocular trauma, 2 virgin sacrifices, 1 strangulation, 12 sword deaths, 1 limb lost, 2 off screen deaths, 1 decapitation, 5 spearings

8.The Ghost Galleon (1975) ☼- What a damn chore to get through. Atmosphere and great set design are killed by off-putting characters and a horrendous pace. Just about nothing happens. Ever. Called it a night after this one. Grade: D
2 off screen deaths, 1 decapitation, 1 stabbing, 1 burning

October 2nd:

9.Night of the Seagulls (1975) ☼- Having some rest before watching this one seemed to have helped as I was more invested in this one as I watched. There wasn't a whole lot of the Knights, but the story was interesting enough that I wasn't bored. Grade: B
2 deaths by sword, 2 virgin sacrifices, 1 off screen death

10.Carriers (2009) ☼- A great, tense film that handles an apocalyptic virus more realistically than most other films. The film alternates between heartbreaking and horrifying frequently. Highly recommended. Grade: A-
3 death by gun, canine abuse, countless cases of the "icky mouth"

11.Splinter (2008) ☼- What would be a fairly average monster movie is lessened by horrid camerawork that renders much of the movie incomprehensible, as well as some of the most bizarre decisions the characters could have made in their situation. Still, a decent watch, mostly because the idea is good and the acting is pretty good for the most part. Grade: C-
1 death by burning, 1 attack by mutant squirrel, 1 limb lost, 1 person torn in half, 1 death indiscernible thanks to shitty shaky cam

12.The Vagrant (1992) ☼- Wonderfully deranged, this essentially boils down to Bill Paxton vs. a bum, but it's constant humor and absurdity throughout the entire film. Gleefully entertaining. Grade: B+
5 fingers in a box, 1 corpse's bits in a fridge, 1 dog on a clothesline, 1 stabbed by chair legs, 1 death by cactus

13.Marebito (2004) ☼- While the film may turn off those without the patience required, I loved it, save for the last third where it loses some of what it had built. Creates a sense of Lovecraftian tone while dealing with some of the same issues in his writing, but definitely makes it it's own. Grade: B
1 knife to the eye, 2 slit throats, Panasonic DVX abuse

October 3rd:

14.Visiting Hours (1982) ☼- More of a suspense/murder film than slasher, it still has the lurid bits required to place it in the sub-genre. There's a lot of hem hawing on the part of the protagonists, but when Michael Ironside is the focus, the movie is pretty entertaining. Grade: C
1 choke to death, 3 knife stabs, beer bottle abuse, 1 boom mic shadow

16.Zombie Town (2007) ☼- Yet another DTV zombie flick, but at least it has a sense of humor that occasionally hits the mark. Rest of the time, though, it's pretty much a groaner. Grade: D
12 by zombie bite, 1 limb lost, 1 space slug up the butt

17.Red Hook (2009) ☼- What a waste of time. NOTHING FUCKING HAPPENS. Just idiots wandering until ten minutes before ending, it tries to inject some sort of story into the thing. AHHH! Grade: F+
6 stabbed by knife, 1 gunshot, 3 slit throat, 1 knife to the eye, 1 finger found

18.Bizarre (1970) ☼- What's supposed to be a horror anthology is really an anthology of lame sex comedies that aren't sexy or funny, hosted by a mummy comprised of bath towels that look like someone wiped their ass with, which is really the only horror connection. Just tedious to get through. Grade: D-
1 by having his balls cut into, that's about it

19.Orca: The Killer Whale (1977) ☼- Probably the only killer animal movie where you fully sympathize with the animal. The fact that it's a highly entertaining and well acted film only helps add to why this is quite a stand out. Grade: B
4 by orca bite, 1 limb lost, 1 by ice avalanche, 1 thrown by orca tail, the great orca massacre

20.Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) ☼- We made sure to watch this before our son comes back from seeing grandma tomorrow, and very glad we did. An engrossing and often disturbing tale of a fairly humanized serial killer. Grade: B+
4 by neck snap, 1 by tv over the head, 1 by gunshot, 2 knife stabs, 1 eye gouged out, 1 decapitation

October 4th:

21.Uzumaki (2000) ☼- I've seen quite a bit of Asian horror, but this is one of the more bizarre ones. At least until you get to the DTV extreme gore ones. A bit goofy at first, but gets more disturbing as it goes. Grade: B
1 by falling, 1 by washing machine, 2 by car accident, finger tip snip, 1 by extreme twisting, 1 stab in the ear

23.Mad Monster Party (1967) ☼- Fairly entertaining monster mash that reminded me of childhood. The plot seems to run on a little too long if you're looking at it critically, but I can't imagine a kid giving a damn. Grade: C+
General G-rated monster hijinks, a precursor to Jessica Rabbit

24.The Maze (2010) ☼- Another random pick on Netflix leaves me with yet another generic cheap slasher, only this time you check out immediately once the killer's revealed to be a twerp who wears an inside out hoodie as costume. At least the filmmakers took it seriously. Grade: D
5 knife stabs, 2 by gunshot, 1 slit throat

25.Touch of Satan: MST3K Version (1971) ☼- Rather long winded hokum about witchcraft in the most rustic town imaginable. It's not the worst movie made, but it was made all the more entertaining thanks to the Mystery Science Theater group's wise-ass commentating. Grade: Movie- D+, MST3K Jokes- B
2 stabbings, 1 witch burning, 1 explosive grandma

26.Zombie Girl: The Movie (2009) ☼- Documentary about a 12 year old directing a zombie movie. Meh. I suppose it's commendable that someone so young would direct a full length feature, but I found myself not really caring, which could be due to the doc not being particularly engrossing. Grade: C-
Just a whole lot of fake blood and people's time being spilled

27.Night of the Scarecrow (1995) ☼- It feels like director Jeff Burr just took the basic story and locations of his Pumpkinhead 2 and made another movie with them, changing the particulars. About as good as you'd imagine for a mid-90's DTV flick. Funny seeing John Hawkes in here. Grade: C
1 limb lost, 2 by sickle, 1 by straw needles, 1 exploding scarecrow, 1 crucified, 1 dead bird, 1 by wheat thresher, 1 person...planted, 1 filled with straw

October 5th:

28.Prey (2010) ☼- I was expecting another take on backwoods horror and was surprised at what I got. Fairly decent film almost ruined by awful shaky cam. Why? WHY?! Grade: C+
2 shotgunned pigs, 2 eaten by pigs, 1 by falling, 1 by gunshot, 1 spearing, 2 roasted pork

29.Suck (2009) ☼- I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this. Humor that wasn't overly goofy, an MTV style that wasn't overly edited or spastic, and some genuinely good music. And Malcolm McDowell is just plain hilarious. Grade: B+
1 by straw, 2 vampire bite, 1 slit throat, 2 stakes in the heart

October 6th:

30.The Rape of the Vampire (1968) ☼-Jean Rollin's first film is a bit of a mess story-wise, but visually, it's amazing. I prefer the much more interesting first segment compared to the overly long and generic second half. Only thing that got me through the second was how wonderful everything was. Grade: C
3 stabbings, 1 old man sacrifice, 1 by peasant beating, 9 by gunshot, eyes stabbed out, 1 by poisoned blood

31.Book of the Dead (2005) ☼- An animated Japanese fable that is interesting, but a little long, even at only 72 minutes. The animation's simple but nice to look at. Grade: C-
1 decapitation, 1 extremely annoying voice over for the ghost

32.The Funhouse (1981) ☼- Even if it takes a while for anything horrific to happen, the movie's entertaining enough that you don't notice. And when the killer does reveal himself, it's pretty memorable. Grade: B
1 electrocution, 1 hanging with a superfluous axe to the head, 1 clawed to death, 1 spearing, 1 crushed between gears

33.Dracula (Spanish version) (1931) ☼- Except for the unbeatable Lugosi, I enjoyed this one more than the better known version in just about every way. The pacing and acting was much more naturalistic compared to the somewhat choppy English version. Grade: B+
2 vampire bites, 1 by falling, 1 staking

34.Dracula's Daughter (1936) ☼- It takes a while to get cooking, but the last third of the movie makes up for it. Sandor in particular was pretty badass, too bad he was marginalized for the sake of the love story. Also, the touches of humor added in spots played very well. Grade: B-
1 vampire bite, 1 by arrow in the heart, 1 by gunshot

October 7th:

35.Son of Dracula (1943) ☼- Surprisingly, well done. The story, with Dracula being played as a patsy, is a unique take carried well with good performances from the cast. The final ten minutes in particular are wonderful. Grade: B+
3 vampire bites, 1 by gunshot, 1 by sunlight, 1 by burning

36.House of Dracula (1945) ☼- What should be a monster mash never really quite gets there. After a fun initial set up, it becomes a little plodding until the final fifteen minutes or so. Actually, when you think about it, Dracula, Wolfman, and Frankenstein all come up a little short in the movie. Still, it never got boring for me at least. Grade: C+
1 by sunlight, 1 vampire bite, 1 strangled, 1 creature Frankensteined

37.Torture Garden (1967) ☼- A fun little anthology that falls a little short thanks to the middle stories sagging a bit. The opening and closing stories, along with the great wraparounds with Burgess Meredith, create a great watch even if it's hindered by less than spectacular filler. Grade: B-
1 heart attack, 1 by pitchfork, 1 by shovel, 1 by gunshot, 1 by car exhaust, 1 by falling, 1 by burning, 1 head eaten

38.Prom Night (2008) ☼- Not as horrible as I thought it'd be, but still pretty boring and tame. Slasher-lite that's perfect for tweens, but is pretty worthless to discerning adults. Is it bad that I've already forgotten how the killer's defeated? Grade: D+
4 by knife, 3 slit throats, 1 strangling, 1 by gunshot

39.The Dead Next Door (1989) ☼- An indie zombie from the 80's, it's saved from the "horrible" classification by great effects work and a good sense of humor. The passion involved comes across through the film, even if the acting's sub-par. Grade: C-
13 zombie bites, 3 fingers bitten, 1 by grenade, 1 by machete, 6 by gunshot, 1 throat ripped out, 1 extreme mullet

41.Welcome to the Jungle (2007) ☼- I may just be a sucker for cinema verite flicks, but I really liked this one. It takes about an hour to get to the, ahem, meat of the situation, but it was never boring to me as it built up the tension of being in a strange place. When the natives show up, it was fairly chilling. Grade: B+
1 by gunshot, 2 shot by arrows, 1 woman run through with a pike, 1 by hammer, 1 torn by cannibals

42.Bloodrayne 2 (2007) ☼- I'll admit, I enjoyed this one. It's just another b-level vampire/western, but I was entertained and enjoyed the last third a good deal. The only thing that drags it down is a few clunky aspects in the beginning and a saggy middle. Plus, Michael Pare. You can't go wrong. Grade: C
2 vampire bite, 20 by gunshot, 2 hanging, 1 slit throat, 3 stabbings, 1 staking

43.Frankenstein (1931) ☼- Finally watched this one all the way through and really enjoyed it. I think in a direct comparison with Dracula, this is definitely the standout. Wonderful. Grade: A
1 by burning, 1 hung, 1 strangled, 1 drowning, 1 creature Frankensteined

44.Bride of Frankenstein (1935) ☼- Might as well be the second half one long, great movie. Just a great continuation from the first but with even more emotion. Grade: A
2 by falling, 1 unwilling heart donor, 3 in explosion, 1 creature Frankensteined

45.Son of Frankenstein (1939) ☼- Just a beautiful movie from start to finish. Some of the best production design I've seen. Lugosi adds a great dimension to the story on top of the usual driven scientist angle. Very satisfying. Grade: A-
1 strangling, 1 bonk on the head, 1 by gunshot, 1 into sulfur, 1 creature Frankensteined

46.Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) ☼- Sequelitis begins settling in here, but Lugosi helps keep things interesting. The film doesn't have as good a look as the previous entries, but it's still entertaining. I actually liked Lon Chaney as the Monster. He brought more brute force to the role which was nice. Grade: B
2 by falling, 1 strangling, 1 electrocute, 1 by burning, 1 creature Frankensteined

47.House of Frankenstein (1944) ☼- The story's pretty much a mess here. Dracula's there to meet a quota, and the monster royale never really happens, but at least it's fun if a bit empty. It's here that I realized Lon Chaney was the first emo/goth. Grade: B-
1 strangled, 1 vampire bite, 1 by sunlight, 1 wolf bite, 1 silver bullet, 1 thrown, 2 by quicksand, 1 creature Frankensteined

October 9th:

48.Carnival of Blood (1970) ☼- Uber-cheap roughie but I had a lot of fun with it. An early slasher set on Coney Island, there's a lot to like here, as unpolished as it is. There's even Burt Young using a different name to be in it. Grade: B-
1 decapitation, 1 disemboweling, 1 hit by brick, tongue ripped out, eyes ripped out, 1 stabbing, 1 hit by car, 1 teddy bear filled with human guts, 3 boom mic shots

49.Curse of the Headless Horseman (1974) ☼- The B-side of Something Weird's Carnival of Blood disc, it offers nowhere near the same level of enjoyment. Just endless shots of hippies walking or talking, with the audio being so bad at times you have no idea what's being said. Pretty tedious. Grade: B-
12 by gunshot, 1 hit by car, 1 by falling or at least it seems that way but it's hard to tell by shitty filmmaking, 1 stabbing

50.Nosferatu (1922) ☼- While it's really hard to judge movies from this period as equally as more modern, this one is fairly easy to watch, thanks to how beautiful the movie is. The story is strong, even if I'm feeling fatigue from watching the same basic Dracula story over and over. Still, it's very iconic and helped establish a lot of building blocks used today. Grade: B
1 drowning, 1 vampire bite, 1 by sunlight

51.Hellraiser: Hellworld (2005) ☼- All of the meta shit in this drove me insane. To hear characters openly acknowledge terms such as "Cenobites" and "Hellraiser" was far more annoying than I expected it to be. Lance Henriksen was good as always, too bad the movie around him wasn't. Grade: D+
1 saw through the neck, 1 decapitation, 1 by hook, 1 self-immolation, 1 stabbing, 1 sliced in pieces, but then again it was all bullshit anyway

52.Birdemic (2008) ☼- I know this is supposed to be the new Troll 2, or at least how internet nerds are trying to push it to be, but really it was almost insufferable. I laughed now and then, but all I really wanted to do was hit stop. A waste of time. Grade: D
4 by acidic bird piss, 1 bird through the throat, countless through bird-shit bombs

53.Dream Home (2010) ☼- Insane. While the backstory is quite sad, the carnage is so vicious yet funny, I was left reeling. The final beat in the movie had me laughing, but feeling bad for doing so. Highly enjoyable. Grade: A-
1 by zip-tie/knife combo, 1 eye stabbed out, 1 vacuumed, 1 neck broken, 1 disemboweling, 1 bong in the neck, 1 beaten into toilet, 1 by wooden plank through head, 1 slit throat, 2 by gun, 1 by mesothelioma

54.Skew (2011) ☼- A somewhat middling entry into the found footage sub-genre. The characters are too pissy and argumentative to actually be likeable and the ending's pretty easy to call, but there are some effective moments. Grade: C
1 gunshot, 1 beaten by camera

October 10th: Birthday!

55.The Last Exorcism (2010) ☼- Very well done found footage flick. The lead actor is very likeable, even amongst an all around good cast. I know some didn't like the ending, but I found it perfect. It didn't give away too much and left you with the chills it wanted to. Grade: B+
1 smooshed kitty, 1 axed to pieces, 1 decapitation, 1 demon spawn sacrifice

56.Madness (2010) ☼- Probably the worst movie to start with after waking up, especially on my birthday. Just violence for no reason and not even well done at that. Imagine someone getting punched in the face for minutes on end and how tedious that's get. Also, it's a Swedish movie acted by Swedes, but they're trying to pass themselves off as American. Bizarre. Grade: F
1 by stomping, 1 rat stomp, 1 stabbing, 1 slit throat, 1 axed, 1 nail in the throat, 4 gunshot, 1 by suffocation with a bag, 4 fingers cut off, 1 pickaxed, world's most worthless after credits sequence

57.Frankenstein's Bloody Terror (1968) ☼- Paul Naschy's first outing as Waldemar Daninsky and it's a fine one indeed. Naschy himself is so damn suave and likeable that you root for him right away. Unlike some of the older Universal monster mash-ups that served as inspiration, this actually as the creature fights you wait for. Naschy plays the Wolfman role with a ferocity that I hadn't seen before. Immensely entertaining. Grade: B+
4 vampire bites, 5 by werewolf bite, 1 by silver cross, 1 staking, 1 by silver bullet

58.Scalps (1983) ☼- This might have been the movie that caused me to have a break from horror movies the following day. Just a mess and tedious to sit through, even if some bits were funny. The music score alone almost drove me nuts. It just wouldn't shut up. Grade: D
1 decapitation, 2 throats slit, 1 scalping, 1 by tomahawk, 1 by gunshot, 2 by arrows

60.Troll Hunter (2010) ☼- Incredibly fun, with a monster design scheme that harkens back to Jim Henson productions of the 80's. It may not be scary, but there's a lot of thrills and wonderful humor that make it a great watch. Grade: A
1 eaten by trolls, 1 exploding troll

October 11th:

61.Ugly Americans: Four Episodes (2010) ☼- I woke up feeling really burnt out on horror flicks for various reasons and ended up giving this a shot on Netflix, which I ended up watching the entire first season throughout the day. Since tv shows are allowed now I figured I'd include it as it really is a hilarious show with numerous horror movie references throughout each episode to reward the horror fan, such as Scrimm's Funeral Home.
.25- Episode 1: Pilot
.50- Episode 2: An American Werewolf in America
.75- Episode 3: Demon Baby
1- Episode 4: Blob Get Job

64.White Zombie (1932) ☼- One of the earliest depictions of voodoo and zombies in cinema. Has a great atmosphere and Lugosi is great in it. Grade: A
1 by voodoo spell, 2 by falling

65.Dr. Blood's Coffin (1961) ☼- An organic version of the Frankenstein tale, but it becomes pretty plodding at times before the ending comes and goes. Grade: C-
1 poisoned, 2 heart removals, 1 strangling

69.Paranormal Entity (2009) ☼- Asylum's takeoff of Paranormal Activity that surprisingly has a few effective moments throughout. Unfortunately, the movie has some dreadfully dull moments that seem to last forever and the ending is laughable blunt. Grade: C-
3 off screen deaths by whatever

October 14th:

70.The Haunting (1963) ☼- Stylish haunted house flick that stands out even today. The use of sound and camera angles probably has never been matched. Highly effective. Grade: B
1 by carriage accident, 1 by sickness, 1 car crash, 1 hanging

October 15th:

71.Road Kill (2010) ☼- An interesting premise ruined by long stretches of nothing and characters who consistently behave moronically. Would have worked better as a short. Grade: D
1 head popped by tire, 1 thrown from truck, 1 by gunshot

73.Nine Dead (2010) ☼- A Saw ripoff, but one that at least has a compelling mystery to it. Some of the acting is spotty, but overall a decent fluff watch. Grade: C
9 by gunshot

74.The Wolf Man (1941) ☼- I've heard people say this is one of the lesser of the Universal classics, but I really enjoyed it. Maybe Chaney Jr. brings a large amount of pathos to his roles which makes it stands out to me. Gorgeous sets and make up. Grade: A-
2 beaten by silver cane, 2 eaten by wolf

75.Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man (1943) ☼- While mostly a pure sequel to The Wolf Man, the eventual monster rumble fares a lot better than in the House Of movies. Chaney was good as always. Grade: B+
3 by wolf, 2 by flooding, 1 creature Frankensteined

76.Werewolf of London (1935) ☼- An interesting little movie that seems to have been over-shadowed by The Wolf Man. This one hold sup on its own merits, with a fantastic transformation sequence. Grade: B
2 by werewolf, 1 by gunshot

78.Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter w/ Joe Bob Briggs commentary (1966) ☼- Honestly, I'm glad I decided to watch this one with the commentary on for my first time viewing. Without Joe Bob's remarks, it would have been fairly dull. Grade: B
2 creatures Frankensteined, 4 by gunshot, 2 strangled

79.Macabre (1980) ☼- Deliriously wicked little movie. The twists in this movie are truly shocking leading up to a final image as befuddling and memorable as the one in Sleepaway Camp. Grade: B+
2 by drowning, 1 decapitation, 1 pushed into oven, 1 neck bitten

October 17th:

80.Campfire Tales (1997) ☼- Decent little anthology that definitely feels as though it came from the mid-90s. The stories are fairly predictable, especially the wrap around, but it still has a layer of fun that makes it easy to watch. Grade: C+
2 mutilated by some form of monster, 1 dead dog, 1 decapitation, 4 car accident

October 18th:

81.Halloween: H20 (1998) ☼- A fairly big disappointment. It doesn't even feel like a Halloween movie until the final 20 minutes, along with the opening scene. Fairly mundane as we follow overly angsty cliches until Michael Myers does anything at the end. Not much better than the sequels it goes out of its way to ignore. Grade: C-
1 by ice skate, 3 stabbing, 2 throats slit, 1 decapitation

82.Aberration (1997) ☼- Starts out a bit slow, but by the end is a blast as the mutant lizards run rampant. The humor in the movie goes a long way to creating an enjoyable experience. Grade: B
1 dog eaten, 1 cat eaten, 2 eaten by lizards, 1 lizard through the head, rampant lizard abuse

October 19th:

83.Simon Says (2006) ☼- Having Crispin Glover play the slasher is only one the inspired decisions that help elevate this above other DTV slashers. The morbid sense of humor runs throughout the whole thing. Grade: B
1 by rock, 3 by knife, 5 by pickaxe, 1 by some kind of whirly gig, 2 by whirling pickaxe machine, 3 fingers lost, 1 dog stomped, 1 hit by van, 1 hanging, 1 burning, 1 axe to head

84.Anacondas: Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004) ☼- Really, not much different than your typical Syfy flick. You'd imagine with a studio budget, they'd be able to have a more inventive script, but it's the same old shit. 'Least it's watchable. Grade: C-
5 eaten by snake, 1 snake decapitation

85.Blood River (2009) ☼- Adam Mason is great at turning what could be a typical set up into something with fresh ideas thrown into the mix. A tense, emotional film with top notch acting. Shows how much you can do with very little. Grade: A
1 slit wrist, 1 gunshot, 1 finger lost

October 20th:

86.The Mummy (1932) ☼- To be honest, rather plodding with not much payoff. The make up effects are great, but the story just isn't as entertaining as the other Universal horrors. Grade: C
1 buried alive, 1 rapidly decomposed

87.The Mummy's Hand (1940) ☼- Slightly more entertaining than the first by having more of an adventure film feel, but the story and characters still aren't very arresting. At least it has a mummy for longer than 30 seconds in this one. Grade: C+
1 buried alive, 3 speared, 3 strangled, 2 by gunshot, 1 crispy mummy

88.The Mummy's Tomb (1942) ☼- Starting off with a ridiculously long flashback for what's only an hour long movie, this is one of the earliest examples of sequel burn-out. The repetitiveness and hokey excuses to keep the story going is indicative of what would happen during the slasher sequel hey day. Grade: C-
3 strangled in the certain mummy way, 1 by gunshot, 1 more crispy mummy

89.The Mummy's Ghost (1944) ☼- I swear to god, this is the same movie as the last one, it feels. It's hard to differentiate them if it wasn't for my notes here. This one gets some bonus points for it's dour ending which stands out amongst many of the Universal horrors. Grade: C
3 mummy strangulations, 1 dead dog, 1 by falling, 2 by quicksand

90.The Mummy's Curse (1944) ☼- At this point in the timeline, the movie's now taking place in the mid-90's, yet everything looks like it's from the 40's still. Oy. The story's at least a bit more engaging than the others, and my thing for Chaney still stands it seems as I think he did a good job as the mummy. Probably the better entry here. Grade: C+
2 by knife, 4 by mummy hugs, 2 by wall collapse, 1 person turned into a mummy

91.Children of the Night (1991) ☼- Utterly bizarre vampire flick from the guy who directed Hellraiser 2. I really dig his visual style which helps make the movie standout to me. The unique touches such as the vampires wrapping themselves in a liquid cocoon with their lungs outside while they sleep along with the film's humor makes for a pretty out there viewing choice. If you're sick of typical vampire movies, this one would be a good choice to check out. Grade: B-
3 by vampire bite, 6 stakings, 1 throat cut, 1 stab in the neck, 1 face ripped off

94.Fiend Without a Face (1958) ☼- I had a blast with this one. While it does follow your typical 50's sci-fi monster flick beats, the execution really makes it stand out. The sound design used when the monsters are invisible actually create some unsettling moments and were very effective. When the monsters are visible, they come to life with some just wonderful stop-motion animation. The movie also has a fairly dark tone throughout which is very welcome. Grade: B+
1 found body, 6 strangled by invisible monsters, 2 strangled by visible monsters, 1 axe in the brain, 11 brain monsters shot

95.The Dark (1979) ☼- Fairly engaging serial killer/monster flick that mostly plays out as a mystery with a few bizarre murders every now and then by eye lasers. The humor adds a lot of charm to the movie and the some off-kilter aspects make up for some of the hokiness that follows. Grade: B+
1 clawed by monster, 7 by eye lasers, 1 decapitation, 6 by falling, 1 thrown through a brick wall, 1 neck snap

97.Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972) ☼- Quite the step down in quality. The story is completely forced and the whole thing is nowhere near as inspired. Still, a bit of fun pops up here and there. Grade: C
1 poke through the ears, 1 person bottled, 1 by scorpions, 1 crushed, 1 by eagle, 1 rapidly aged, 1 sand storm

98.Amusement (2008) ☼- I think if I had watched this when I was a kid, I probably would have enjoyed this more. As it is now, it's home to the largest amount of pure stupid shit I've seen in a movie all month. There's nothing resembling realistic human interaction anywhere in this. It feels like it was written by a robot. Grade: D
1 by hammer to the head, 1 thrown from truck, 1 found body, 1 stab, 1 by falling, 1 stab in the face

October 26th:

99.Witchfinder General (1968) ☼- Almost more along the lines of a dark tragedy story, similar to Matthew Lewis's The Monk, this is quite a departure from your typical Price film. Not much in the way of fun, but more in line with tragic story twists and torture methods. A compelling watch. Grade: B
3 by hanging, 2 by gunshot, 2 knifed, 1 burning, 1 axe

100.Case 39 (2009) ☼- There's a few awesome sequences (mostly whatever Ian McShane does), but for the most part, this is the same as most studio genre flicks aimed at the mainstream. Most of the stuff comes across as unintentionally funny than serious which usually isn't a good sign, but it at least isn't bad enough to leave with any ill-will towards the film. Grade: C
1 epic shove of a face into a fridge, 2 by whacks to the head, 1 brain embolism, 2 by fork, 1 by gunshot, 1 drowning

October 27th:

101.Paranormal Activity 3 (2011) ☼- What started out pretty decent soon becomes relegated to nothing but cheap jump scares with an ending cribbed from The Last Exorcism. Obvious reshoots of the last third makes the movie infuriating to me. Bleh. Grade: D+
2 snapped by demon

103.The Serpent and The Rainbow (1988) ☼- One of the more accomplished Wes Craven films. Bill Pullman gives a great performance and it was nice seeing a more "out of the box" horror film after legions of vampires and ghosts and etc. It even holds up at the end, though it comes close to giving in to the typical goofy shit Craven somehow always ends up doing. Grade: B+
2 decapitation, 1 bug through the neck, 1 burning

104.Pandorum (2009) ☼- The beginning really almost lost me. Just seemed to take forever for me to get interested in it, but once it started going I ended up really rather enjoying it, even if the ending was a tad predictable. Grade: C+
1 dismembered and eaten, 1 limb lost, 1 stabbed, 1 speared, 1 knifed, 1 slit throat, 1 shot through the eye, 1 exploded by riot gun, 1 drowning

October 29th:

105.Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) ☼- Definitely more of a satisfying monster meet and greet than the earlier serious movies. The humor adds a fresh tone after watching roughly 25 of the more serious Universal entries. A lot of fun. Grade: B+
2 vampire bites, 1 creature Frankensteined, 2 by falling

106.Hunger (2009) ☼- A Saw clone for fat people, it holds the viewer's interest, even if it comes off as a little hokey. It's at least never boring which should be commended considering the limited scope of the film. Grade: C
2 drowned, 1 clubbed, 1 stabbed, 1 eye gouged out, 1 strangled, 1 slit throat

107.Dolls (1987) ☼- A slice of fun that makes you miss the 80's. Excellent effects and a fun sense of humor make this one a highlight. Grade: A-
1 slapped to pieces by giant bear, 1 limb lost, 1 gunshot, 1 by falling, 1 dragged and turned into doll, 1 turned into other doll

109.Trick R Treat (2008)- What's become a yearly favorite around here. Even my two year old son loves it. Terribly too brief and horribly mis-handled by the studio, you can only sit there wanting more. Grade: A
1 by lolly, 1 poisoned candy, 1 vampire bite, 9 drowned, 4 by ghosts, 1 by werewolf

110.Trilogy of Terror (1975) ☼- An average anthology. The first two stories were interesting but not terribly memorable. The third is why anyone even remembers this movie, I believe. Even that wouldn't really stand out if it wasn't for the sheer ferocity of the little bugger. I could see this story freaking out younger viewers when they're kids. Grade: B-
1 poisoned, 1 by voodoo curse, 1 doll burned

Watch films in at least three languages other than English:
-X- First language, (Japanese), (Marebito).
-X- Second language, (Spanish), (Tombs of the Blind Dead).
-X- Third language, (French), (Rape of the Vampire).

October 101. The Mummy (1932)☼First half is pretty slow; however, the pace picks up in the second half and it finishes strong. Not quite as good as some of the other Universal monster movies like Dracula and Frankenstein, but still worth a watch for its place in history. 6/10

October 202. The Mummy's Hand (1940)☼I actually enjoyed this one a little better than the original. It had just the right amount of humor and it worked perfectly for me. 7/1003. The Mummy's Tomb (1942)☼Similar to the original in that it started slowly, but finished strong. 6/1004. The Mummy's Ghost (1944)☼Very similar storyline to the previous sequels. Probably would be a little better if viewed individually rather than immediately after the previous films. 5/10

October 305. The Mummy's Curse (1944)☼Picks up thirty years after The Mummy's Ghost and continues the storyline. I liked it a little better than Ghost because it continues the plot and doesn't rehash it. 6/1006. The Woods (2006)☼Good atmosphere and setting but weak storyline. I'm convinced there's a good movie in there somewhere; this just isn't it. 3/1007. May (2002)☼Bizarre and disturbing! I decided I liked it after thinking about it for a couple of days and it stayed with me for at least that long. 7/10 08. He Knows You're Alone (1980)☼Tries its best to be another Halloween, but never successfully recreates the atmosphere or mood until the final fifteen minutes, which are quite good. Gets an extra point for finishing on such a strong point. 6/1009. Near Dark (1987)☼Pretty good and somewhat different vampire movie. The bar scene was absolutely awesome! 6/10

October 410. Children of the Living Dead (2001)☼Despite the cringe inducing dialogue and cheap effects, I really enjoyed this one. Falls into the so bad it's good category. 4/10 11. Slither (2006)☼Excellent!!! I loved every second of it and don't know why I waited so long so see it. 8/1012. Wolfen (1981)☼I was expecting a werewolf movie, but that's not what I got, but it's still pretty good. The wolves used in the movie were awesome; if this movie were made today, it would be full of CGI and I don't think it would be nearly as effective. 6/1013. Session 9 (2001)☼Great setting and atmosphere in the abandoned mental hospital. I liked everything about until the twist ending. I must say I knew something was coming but I had it pegged to end differently. The ending prevents this good horror mvie from being great. 7/10

October 514. A Stranger is Watching (1982)☼Good setting in the bowels of the New York City subway system directed by Sean Cunningham of Friday the 13th fame. A little slow at times, but overall not bad. 6/10 15. Black Sunday (1960)☼Excellent film from Mario Bava. I didn't think I was going to like it at the beginning, but it grew on me, and I was loving it by the end. 7/1016. Someone's Watching Me! (1978)☼Not your typical John Carpenter film, but I suspect that's because it was made for TV. Much more psychological thriller than horror. I was a little disappointed in the ending as I would like to have known more about the stalker. 6/10 17. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)☼Different and interesting. I loved all of the references to other horror movies and need to rewatch it because I'm sure I missed some. 7/10

October 618. The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)☼A retelling of the original Frankenstein story with a few twists and turns thrown in that, I think, actually improve the story. 6/1019. The Dentist (1996)☼Good creepy and demented performance from Corbin Bernsen. I just hope my dentist is not having a bad day the next time I visit him! 5/1020. Prom Night (1980)☼I thought I had seen this many years ago, but none of it seemed even remotely familiar so I counting it as a first time viewing. I actually really liked it much more than I expected. Good storyline and well executed. Kept me guessing until the final reveal. 6/1021. The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)☼Loved all of the quirky characters that showed up. Also, some great and quotable one liners. Deserves a second viewing to pick up on the things I missed. 7/10

October 722. Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987)☼I actually liked this one better than the original, although, it really shouldn't be considered a sequel as there is absolutely no connection to the first one other than taking place a prom. 7/1023. The Eighteenth Angel (1998)☼Decent satanic thriller starring a very young Rachel Leigh Cook. 5/1024. Black Sabbath (1963)☼Another classic from Mario Bava. Three seperate stories hosted by Boris Karloff with The Wurdalak being the standout. 7/10

October 825. Dementia 13 (1963)☼Dull and boring; it was all I could do to stay awake during this one. Francis Ford Coppola has improved tremendously since this. 1/10

October 926. Blame (2006)☼Good beginning, horrible ending. No explanations were given as to why anything happened. Maybe that's standard for Spanish films, and if so, that's a shame. 5/10

October 1027. The Cave (2006)☼Good, creepy atmosphere much like The Descent; however, the storyline falls a little short of The Descent. Camera work was a little annoying with all of the quick cuts, but still better than I expected and worth a watch. 6/1028. Le6ion of the Dead (2002)☼A couple of good one liners, but overall, not very good. 3/1029. Incubus (2007)☼Stars Tara Reid. That should tell you all you need to know about this film. Actually, a good creepy setting in a laboratory in the middle of the woods, but that's the only good thing about it. 3/1030. Village of the Damned (1960)☼Excellent classic from the early sixties. I would like for it to have been a little longer as it left many questions unanswered. 6/10

October 1131. Dog Soldiers (2002)☼Loved it!!! Good gore, good storyline, a couple of good twists and adequate acting all spell a cult classic! Suffered somewhat from a limited budget, but I can over look that. 8/1032. Buried Alive (2007)☼Interesting enough to hold my attention for its just over one hour runtime; however, at the end, I just felt meh. 4/10

October 1233. Children of the Damned (1964)☼Adequate sequal to Village of the Damned, but left many questions unanswered. 5/10

October 1334. The Girl Next Door (2007)☼Absolutely loved the movie; however, it was brutal and hard to watch. I don't ever expect to watch it again, but it is well worth watching once. 7/10

October 1435. Spectre (2006)☼Another of the 6 Films to Keep You Awake collection, that much like Blame, showed promise, but ultimately disappointed me. 5/10

October 1536. Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (2006)☼This is bad, one of the worst films I've ever seen. It's a good premise, but just a little too stupid to be good. 0/10

October 1637. Kill, Baby...Kill! (1968)☼Another Bava, another excellent film! I enjoyed Black Sunday slightly more; however, this is not far behind. 7/1038. Hellion: The Devil's Playground (2001)☼AKA Cubbyhouse, this was a somewhat entertaining satanic cult film set in Australia. Despite a lot of plotholes and not a lot of gore, it managed to keep my attention throughout the runtime. 4/1039. Red Mist (2008)☼I actually enjoyed this title. Pretty good story and a couple of hot chicks helped. Much better than I expected. 6/10

October 1740. The Toolbox Murders (1978)☼Starts out strong with some good kills and then fades a little when the action dies down a bit. Still better than most current day slashers. 6/1041. The Blair Witch Project (1999)☼First half is pretty slow, but the last half is pretty intense and it ends on a strong note. 7/10

October 1842. Deadline (2009)☼Decent ghost story starring Brittany Murphy in one of her last roles. Good creepy, atmosphere but it seemd as though something was missing. 5/1043. Offspring (2009)☼I actually really enjoyed this title much more then I expected. Another crazy storyline from Jack Ketchum with lots and lots of gore. One of the biggest surprises of the month so far. 7/10

October 1944. The Ruins (2008)☼Despite a plot that is totally outrageous, it was surprisingly good, at least I enjoyed it. The amputation scene was brutal and hard to watch. 7/10

October 2045. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)☼
Loved it!!! My favorite movie of the challenge so far. I was beginning to wonder where the horror came in, but once it did, an hour in, it was non-stop until the end. Even the first hour was very entertaining despite the non-horror element. 9/1046. Demon Knight (1995)☼Not bad, not bad at all. 6/10

October 2147. The Item (1999)☼This is bad, real bad. Don't waste your time on it. 2/1048. Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968)☼Another good Hammer film. I'm really enjoying these older Hammer films that I've never seen before. 6/1049. Deadly Friend (1986)☼Pretty good offering from Wes Craven. I was surprised I enjoyed it so much considering I had never heard anything about it. Probably deserves a little more love then it gets. 6/1050. Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)☼Starts out a little slow, but finished strong. On par with part 2, but both films are a step below the original. Looking forward to part 4 next October. 6/10

October 2251. A Real Friend (2006)☼Another of the 6 Films to Keep You Awake series that put me to sleep. 3/10

October 2352. Toolbox Murders (2004)☼Started out strong but faded when the occult elements were introduced. Still, a good performance from Angela Bettis who is 2 for 2 this month with me. 6/10

October 2453. Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000)☼Much better than I expected considering the hate it receives. 5/1054. Decoys (2004)☼Mediocre alien story aided by a very good looking female cast. 5/1055. Bay of Blood (1971)☼Another good effort from Mario Bava. Got a little complicated trying to keep all of the characters straight because a couple of them looked similar. 6/1056. Cujo (1983)☼57. Triangle (2009)☼Got a little repetitive after about the sixth time of retracing the same story, but other than that, I really liked it. It gains an extra point for the ending which I didn't see coming until the last minute. 7/10

October 2558. Stir of Echoes (1999)☼Excellent thriller starring Kevin Bacon. How did I miss this all of these years? 7/1059. Reign in Darkness (2002)☼Vampires that don't burn when exposed to sunlight are not real vampires. 2/10

October 2660. I Sell the Dead (2008)☼A little more comedic driven than horror driven, but still good nonetheless. Several good one liners and a couple of good gore scenes boost this above your average film. 6/10

October 2761. Prom Night (2008)☼Hey, what can I say? I liked it. I know it gets a lot of hate, but it's mostly undeserved in my opinion. Maybe my expectations were lowered going in, but I enjoyed it. 6/1062. Hostel (2005)☼Now, this is my kind of film. Another of those that I ask myself why I waited so long to see it. 7/10

October 2863. Hostel: Part II (2007)☼One of the few cases where I think the sequel is better than the original. A little more straight forward and it answered many of the questions I had from the first film. 8/1064. Creep (2004)☼Great creepy setting in the sewers and subway system beneath London. Plot could have used a little more work, but overall, it was better than I expected. Plus, I could watch Franka Potente do nothing any day of the week. 6/1065. The Skull (1965)☼Typical sixties horror in that it was probably creepy in its day, but doesn't hold up too well today. 4/10

October 2966. Bloody Pit of Horror (1965)☼A fun movie that falls in the so bad its good category. A remake is probably deserved. 5/1067. Nightmare Castle (1965)☼I think I was tired when I watched this because it was all I could do to stay awake. Seemed like I had seen the same story many, many times before. 4/10

October 3068. Maniac (1934)☼Not bad. Watched it because it was short and fit the timeframe I had available, but it was pretty good. 5/1069. Nosferatu (1922)☼I guess this was the original Dracula and it's a pretty good interpretation. Good performance from Max Schreck. Amazing that after nearly 90 years, it's still as creepy and atmospheric as ever. I can only imagine the reaction to it in 1922. 7/1070. Bowery at Midnight (1942)☼Dual roles from Bela Lugosi highlight this crime/horror tale. 5/10

October 3171. White Zombie (1932)☼I'm not sure why this film is never mentioned with the classics of the era. I wasn't expecting much from it and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. 7/10 72. Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959)☼Exactly what you would expect from a Roger Corman produced film. 4/1073. The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961)☼The best thing going for it is it's only 54 minutres long. Any longer and the pain would be unbearable. 1/1074. Psycho (1960)☼A true classic that I had never seen completely. Deserves all of the praise and accolades it receives and then some. A near perfect movie. 9/1075. Amusement (2008)☼Average at best. Really couldn't decide which direction to take and tried to do it all. 5/10

Watch films in at least three formats (Blu-ray, DVD, streaming, etc.):
-X- First format, Blu-ray, HALLOWEEN
-X- Second format, DVD, HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH
-X- Third format, Netflix Streaming, OPEN HOUSE

1. Santa Sangre (1989) - I've been curious about this film since it first came out. Over the years, I'd seen the video box in various rental stores, but I never actually pulled the trigger to watch it. I'm glad that I've now finally seen it...but don't ask me to tell you what it means, because I'm still working that out. On the surface, it's the story of a boy of the circus named Fenix whose father cuts off the arms of his mother, then commits suicide. After some time spent in a hospital due to the psychic trauma inflicted on him from watching his father commit suicide, Fenix leaves the hospital, reunites with his mother, and "becomes" her arms. And I don't mean that he's merely helping out around the house, sweeping and cooking and such--he walks behind her, slipping his arms into the sleeves of her garments, and his arms become hers, complete with painted false fingernails. There's a lot more to the relationship (and the film) than this, but this is one of those films that's going to speak to each individual who watches it in a different way. So, instead of giving you MY interpretation of events, I'd rather leave you to sort it out for yourself...as I'm still doing. I really appreciate that Santa Sangre's director, Alejandro Jodorowsky, doesn't beat the viewer about the head and neck with explanations. The information he gives is elliptical, and it's only upon later reflection that what at first seemed like random plot points begins to cohere into a comprehensible narrative. I need to watch this again, though, to help that process along. A few more random thoughts about Santa Sangre:

1. Jodorowsky goes all Argento for a minute with the death of the tattooed woman.
2. U2's Bono seems to have gotten more than one costume idea from this film.
3. The "strongest woman in the world" looks a LOT like Tom Hanks in drag from Bosom Buddies.
4. The adult Alma, once she puts the white makeup back on, looks a lot like Simone Simon from Cat People.
5. For me, the film's loveliest moment comes when the soldier picks up the sleeping Alma and cradles her like a child. For some reason, that really affected me.
6. Trouser snake--best visual pun in a long time.

2. Beyond Atlantis (1973) - Delightfully dumb adventure shot in the Philippines features John Ashley, Patrick Wayne, and Sid Haig as somewhat less-than-upstanding expats. The trio, along with an anthropologist, go in search of some really big pearls. What do they find? Descendents of the citizens of Atlantis (who have eyes similar to those of the aliens in Killers from Space) and really big pearls. They also find the regular-eyed "princess" of this tribe, who has to mate with an outsider to continue the royal lineage (and keep said lineage's eyes normal). Film features some exceptionally pretty underwater cinematography (and so much of it!). The princess's dad is played by the hero of Robot Monster, George Nader. And that just seems kind of fitting. Film is the seventh in a series of films that Ashley and director Eddie Romero made together. Best line: "You WILL mate! You WILL mate!" For me, drive-in nirvana.

10/2/2011

Spoiler:

3. Konga (1961) - Okay, it's not a good movie. I understand that, but I still had an absolute blast with this big ol' hunk of cheese. Michael Gough, never the most reserved of actors, really chews the scenery in this one. He plays a botanist who discovers some sort of plant growth hormone that, when injected into animals, causes them to exhibit massive growth spurts (and they obey really well, too). So he starts injecting his pet chimp Konga with the hormone, and not only does Konga get bigger, but he also changes into a man in a gorilla costume at some point. Gough uses Konga to kill various people who have gotten in the way of his scientific research and/or his romantic interests. In the end, Gough's jealous fiancee/assistant gives Konga a super-duper dose of the growth hormone, and Konga goes medieval on London. I had two favorite lines in this one--1) spoken by Michael Gough: "Margaret, if there's one thing I can't abide, it's hysterics--especially in the morning."; and 2) spoken by the London police chief: "There's a huge monster gorilla that's constantly growing to outlandish proportions loose in the streets!" From AIP, naturally.

4. [●REC] (2007) - I've seen [●REC] three or four times now, and it never fails to unnerve me. It's not that it really does anything new--the "found-footage" aspect of the film was already old hat by the time this film was made (thanks mainly to The Blair Witch Project), the "rage zombie" had been introduced in 28 Days Later, the night-vision photography had been done in The Silence of the Lambs...but the combination of all these influences (along with nods to Night of the Living Dead, The Evil Dead, and even The Exorcist) makes for a very potent horror film. Part of the reason for the film's success is that it takes great care to ground the film in everyday reality before the weird stuff starts happening. I don't think the film would have been nearly as effective without the first ten minutes showing the fire station's normal routine. This ten minutes also gives us time to get to know and care about Angela, the reporter. Once the film kicks into gear, we're on her side, and don't want any harm to come to her. There are at least three tremendous jump scares, and even though I know they're coming, they get me every time. [●REC] is easily one of my favorite horror films of the last decade.

5. Quarantine (2008) - So-so remake of the terrifying Spanish film [●REC]. It's certainly not the worst of the spate of remakes to curse the new millennium, but the few changes that the American writers and director made to the original story don't amount to any new scares or better explanations. The character of Angela the reporter in Quarantine is infinitely more annoying than that of Angela in the Spanish version, and, wonky as it is, I prefer [●REC]'s explanation of the origins of the virus to the same old "genetically-engineered supervirus" explanation given here. As for Scott, the cameraman? There's no way that he worked for a commercial TV organization. Even the worst of professional cameramen are able to keep the camera steadier than he did, and they don't constantly zoom in and out of shots, either. My final verdict: if you've seen [●REC], don't bother with Quarantine.

6. The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959) - Terence Fisher's remake of The Man in Half-Moon Street stars Anton Diffring as Dr. Georges Bonner, a 104-year-old guy who looks no older than his late 30s. Hazel Court is the woman who loves him, and Christopher Lee plays the doctor who loves her. It turns out that Dr. Bonner and his friend Dr. Weiss discovered the secret to eternal youth over 70 years ago, and all it takes to remain forever young are periodical gland transplants. Dr. Weiss has been the surgeon all those years, but now he's had a stroke and can't use his scalpel hand any more. Whatever will Dr. Bonner do? There's also some subplot that really doesn't go anywhere about some elixir that Dr. Bonner must drink every few hours to stay alive while he's waiting for his gland transplant. If he's late, his eyes go all googly, he turns green, and his touch goes acidic. Second-tier production from Hammer might have been more popular if two of the four leads didn't have such heavy accents.

7. Crawlspace (1986) - Typical Empire late '80s non-movie stars Klaus Kinski as a deranged Nazi/former doctor/serial killer who rents rooms in his large house to attractive women so that he can spy on them. There's not an iota of tension in the entire film, unless you count the singular agony of waiting for it to finally end. The only things that kept me watching were Kinski's performance and Pino Donnagio's score, although neither could be counted among their best work. Contrary to writer/director David Schmoeller's title, the tunnel-like area under the attic floor that Kinski crawls around in to spy on tenants is not a crawlspace; however, calling this movie "Cooling/Heating Ducts" would make it even less appealing than it already is, so I guess the misnomer is justified in this instance. Not worth expending any effort whatsoever to seek out.

10/3/2011

Spoiler:

8. Orca: The Killer Whale (1977) - Oh, how I miss the Dino De Laurentiis of the mid-to-late 1970s. It's not that I think that he made good movies; on the contrary, most of his output from that time period was sheer dreck (see also Lipstick, Mandingo and its sequel, Drum, and King Kong). I think what I miss is that De Laurentiis was a showman--he knew how to package and sell a movie, how to build anticipation for a project and deliver a film that, for all its faults, still delivered the goods. Orca is such a movie. Is it a good film? Not by any objective measure. What it does have going for it is a pretty good central performance by Richard Harris, a score by the great Ennio Morricone, and delusions of grandeur. Imagine Moby Dick as written by William Shakespeare with the whale as the tragic figure, and you'll have a fairly good idea of what's going on with this movie. I don't think that even Shakespeare would have had a dying she-whale spontaneously abort her fetus onto a ship's deck, however. Look quickly for Robert Carradine, and mute the sound during the end credits so as to avoid the atrocious theme song, "My Love, We Are One." For a while, Orca was known primarily as Bo Derek's film debut--her character in the film might as well have been named "Ingenue" for all the wide-eyed non-acting she does--but now it's practically forgotten, which is understandable, but somewhat a shame.

9. The Grudge (Unrated Extended Director's Cut) (2004) - The Grudge is a remake of a Japanese film called Ju-On, which was itself a remake of a direct-to-video movie. I first stumbled across Ju-On when I was living in Japan in 2003. A student of mine and I were in a video store, and she asked if I'd seen it. When I said no, she said that it was very scary, and that I should give it a try. So I did. Unfortunately, the DVD had no English subtitles, so I was pretty bewildered as to what exactly was going on in the film. A year later, I was back in the States, and I saw that Ju-On had been released on DVD. So I bought it, and the English subtitles cleared up most my confusion with the film. About that time, the DVD of The Grudge came out as well, which I avoided assiduously due to my displeasure at the remake of The Ring, or what was known as Ringu in the U.S. I had steadfastly continued to avoid The Grudge until now, and I'm sort of sorry that I did, because I think that the Americanized version is leaps and bounds better than the original Japanese version...and I rarely take the position that Americanized remakes are better than their original foreign versions. The Grudge still has some problems, with the biggest for me being the layer of artificiality that comes with having nearly all of the protagonists of the film be U.S. expats living in Tokyo. Still, if you can overlook that anomaly, the film's non-linear structure, and its lack of an ending, The Grudge provides some simply marvelous scares that you'll probably find yourself replaying later in your head. In your bed. In the dark.

10/4/2011

Spoiler:

10. Frogs (1972) - I'm lucky that I grew up in a very small town with only one hardtop theater and one drive-in, because the lack of viewing choices meant that I saw a LOT of movies when I was young. I took in double-features at least two or three weekends every month for a couple of years. Because my theater was the only game in town, the owner could get away with showing older, cheaper movies on weekends for the kiddie crowds. Probably a full ten years after they were released, I was seeing great films like Roger Corman's The Raven, Hammer's Kiss of the Vampire, and Mario Bava's Black Sabbath in a real theater. I discovered early on that I liked almost any movie released by AIP. In fact, I can't think of even one that I saw in the early 1970s in my small-town theater that I didn't like (and that even includes Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs). I made it a point to go see every horror movie that I could, and if it was an AIP movie, I was doubly-deadset to see it. So, it's rather odd that I somehow missed out on seeing Frogs. I remember my friends who DID see it telling me about it (for some reason, their retelling of the film made the scene where the frog jumps on the gramophone sound like the pinnacle of horror), and I was jealous. A neighbor kid gave me Issue #91 of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, and it had Frogs as its cover story. I ended up having to tear off the cover (which featured a frog with a human hand sticking out of its mouth) because it frightened me so badly. So, tonight, after nearly FORTY YEARS, I finally caught up with Frogs. And boy, was I disappointed. I struggled to remain awake for the entire length of the film, sometimes pausing it to get up and stretch, or grab a snack, or check my email, or ANYTHING to refocus my attention on the film. I finally made it through, but it wasn't worth the effort. It's not often I see a film with so little to recommend it. Frogs isn't scary in the least, it isn't funny, it isn't really much of anything except endless shots of frogs hopping around, with the occasional snake or lizard shot to try to break up the monotony. You know a film is slow if someone gets killed by a turtle, which indeed is the case with this film. Earlier in the film, someone gets hanging mossed to death--hanging moss just drops all over him, sapping his will to live. And at the end of the film, horror of horrors, star Ray Milland is frogged to death. I don't know if it was the combined weight of the critters that killed him or what. At least they were conscientious enough to turn out the lights after killing him, so as to not waste electricity. Eminently forgettable.

11. Cronos (1992) - It's hard for me to believe, but Guillermo del Toro has only directed seven movies. He seems to be so much more ubiquitous than that. This ubiquity started (naturally enough) with Cronos, his first feature film as a director. While it's not my favorite of his films (that title would go to The Devil's Backbone), Cronos is still an incredibly rich viewing experience. A singular take on immortality, the film is about a contraption (which is a little smaller than an adult's fist) called The Cronos Device. Invented by an alchemist in the 1500s, the device is found by an antique dealer, who happens to discover it hidden in the base of a statue that he's acquired. Unsure of what it is at first, he soon finds out that it has some very special powers, and that someone else wants it very, very badly...so badly that they would kill for it. To give away any more of the plot would be a huge disservice to first-time viewers. Cronos is a multiple award winner, even taking home a handful of Ariel Awards (Mexico's answer to the Academy Awards) the year it came out. It probably requires multiple viewings to catch everything that del Toro has loaded it with (and to figure out exactly what the ending means). Worth going out of your way to see.

10/5/2011

Spoiler:

12. The Horde (2009) - It may seem like I'm damning this film with faint praise, but The Horde is probably the best French zombie film that I've ever seen. Okay, so I've only seen three other French zombie films, but the statistic still stands. In this one, we get unusual zombie setup #812: cops raid a derelict building to take out a criminal gang, but zombies overrun the building and probably all of Europe, thus making taking out the gang secondary to not being eaten alive by the living dead. I had a definite feeling of "been there, done that" for about the first half of the movie, and I found it hard to work up any real enthusiasm for the film. But then the protagonists meet up with an overweight old wacko named Rene, and suddenly the film came to life for me. This is a very good thing, because about a half-hour into the film I was beginning to have the heretical thought that maybe I was tired of zombie movies. The last half of the film proved to me that, no, I'm not tired of zombie movies...I'm just tired of zombie movies that have nothing new to bring to the table. Luckily, this zombie movie ended up overcoming its cliched start to finish strong. There are still aspects of the film that I could do without (fast-moving zombies, obviously computer-generated blood), but on the whole, The Horde ended up delivering the goods.

13. Cat Girl (1957) - Barbara Shelley stars as Leonora, the titular cat girl. You see, there's been this curse in her family stretching back hundreds of years, and it's passed down from whoever has it to the nearest...living...rel.... Sorry. I fell asleep, there. Released in the States as the bottom half of an AIP double-feature, Cat Girl is a low-budget British cousin to Cat People, although in this case it's like comparing a flat ale to an aged, single-malt Scotch. Cat Girl lifts two scenes pretty much intact from Cat People, but these scenes are staged so hamfistedly that they fail to generate much of a response of any kind. At one point in the film, Shelley either actually transforms into a were-leopard or imagines that she shape-shifts, but either way the result is pretty ridiculous, with the creature ending up looking a lot like the one in Terror Is a Man, made two years (and half a world away) later. Cat Girl isn't even so bad that it's fun--it's just so mediocre that it once it's over, it's forgotten.

10/6/2011

Spoiler:

14. Dead and Buried (1981) - I first saw Dead and Buried in the summer of 1982, on HBO. I happened to watch it with my grandmother, who laughed all the way through it. She kept saying, "Now that's just silly" when any of the assorted mayhem in the movie would happen, and she'd laugh some more. This was kind of distracting to me, since I was trying to get into the vibe of the movie. I mean, it had gory deaths, and a great creepy setting, and Melody Anderson--I loved it. Well, tonight, I watched Dead and Buried for the first time since 1982. And you know what? My grandmother was right. Jack Albertson plays a mortician named Dobbs who, unbeknownst to the sheriff (James Franciscus) of the tiny hamlet of Potter's Bluff, has been taking the dead bodies that come to the mortuary and reanimating them. Since they're dead, they have to be "touched up" weekly, which for the most part seems to entail putting flesh-colored paint on their decomposing flesh. Any stranger who comes into town (and several of the townspeople) also literally become dead meat, because the zombies of Potter's Bluff hunt them down and kill them violently. The violence is apparently done for two reasons: 1) a book that the sheriff finds tells us that zombies can only be made from those who died violent deaths; and 2) Dobbs likes a challenge when it comes to making dead bodies beautiful again. Why he's doing this is never explained, except when he gives the old "they'll never get old, never die, blah blah blah" speech that all mad scientists give eventually. The movie ends up failing because there's no rationale for the premise. I don't often change my tune when it comes to liking a movie, but I realized while I was watching Dead and Buried that this would most probably be the last time I voluntarily ever see it. So I guess that the moral of the story is: listen to your grandmother--she usually knows what she's talking about.

15. House of Dark Shadows (1970) - This may seem like a really odd choice, but House of Dark Shadows is my favorite vampire movie. I can't really put my finger on why it is--it may have something to do with my having seen it at an impressionable age, or maybe it's because, near the end of the film, practically EVERYONE has turned into a vampire, or it may be just that Carolyn Stoddard (played by Nancy Barrett) makes a really hot vampire chick. When watching it again tonight (and I can't count the number of times I've seen it), I was struck by how straight the entire cast played it. That's a unique quality about the vampire movies of the late 1960s and early 1970s: they were trying to scare us. They didn't want to make us laugh, or make us feel too sorry for the vampire--they wanted to frighten us. Many of them succeeded, but House of Dark Shadows is the cream of the crop. I really, really hope that Tim Burton and Johnny Depp don't screw it up in the forthcoming remake (and I hope that we FINALLY get a DVD--make that a real, PRESSED DVD--of House of Dark Shadows and its sequel, Night of Dark Shadows). If you've never seen it and you like vampire movies, find it and see it before the remake comes out. Just in case.

10/7/2011

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16. Vampire Circus (1972) - This change-of-pace film from Hammer shows the company desperately trying to make adjustments to its usual formula in order to meet changes in the cinematic marketplace. Because of this, the film is rather schizophrenic--but it's never dull. Hammer really amped-up the gore quotient in this one; I haven't done a violence survey of their films, but I feel that this one would most probably be the bloodiest by a fairly large margin. The plot is a variation on what was quickly becoming one of Hammer's most-used themes, that of "the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children." But forget the plot and watch Vampire Circus for its hallucinatory imagery, and for the incredibly lovely Lynne Frederick, my favorite Hammer damsel.

10/8/2011

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17. The Mighty Peking Man (1977) - Known in the U.S. upon its original release as Goliathon, this insane Shaw Brothers' production would make an ideal double feature with their Inframan. Apparently, when Dino De Laurentiis announced that he was remaking King Kong, lots of other people started making ripoffs to get in on the gravy train. So the world got this film from Hong Kong, A*P*E from South Korea, Yeti from Italy, and Queen Kong from West Germany, among others. All of them were awful. In The Mighty Peking Man, a hunter named Johnny is sent to India to bring back to Hong Kong the Peking Man after he's sighted. So he does, but he also brings back Samantha, a blonde jungle goddess who is sort of the Peking Man's keeper. Things follow a Kong-charted course until the ape AND the girl are dead! Doesn't Johnny feel bad NOW! In the right frame of mind, this film can be pretty funny. I've got two favorite lines from this one.

The first, when Johnny introduces Samantha to his brother: "Here she is--this is Samantha. She was raised in the jungle, you know."

The second, when the APMAF (Anti Peking Man Attack Force) commander is giving orders: "All units--you are to concentrate your fire. And also intensify it. Anything to kill Peking Man! Anything to kill this Peking Man! Kill the Peking Man by any means you can! Kill the Peking Man by any means! That's an order!"

18. Someone's Watching Me! (1978) - John Carpenter directed this made-for-TV movie between Assault on Precinct 13 and Halloween. In it, Lauren Hutton plays a TV director who has just relocated to Los Angeles. She rents an apartment in a high-rise apartment building (with the in-jokey name of Arkham Towers) and immediately becomes the target of a stalker's attentions. Carpenter manages to build a fair amount of suspense within the TV movie format, with Hutton essentially playing both the Jimmy Stewart AND the Grace Kelly roles from Rear Window. Look for Halloween's sheriff, Charles Cyphers, as a detective, and Adrienne Barbeau, The Fog's DJ Stevie Wayne and Carpenter's future wife, as Hutton's lesbian coworker.

10/9/2011

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19. Premonition (2004) - Pretty good Japanese horror film is part of the "J-Horror Theater" series of six films that includes Infection and Retribution, among others. I enjoyed this film, but it's not one that I'm going to revisit often. It's certainly well-made, but it's just so somber that I don't see myself rewatching it anytime soon. The plot is rather convoluted, but it concerns a newspaper that contains stories of future deaths showing up shortly before these deaths actually take place. And, yes, it DOES sound cheesy, and the film could have turned out really awful, but it works amazingly well. The last twenty minutes take on a very surreal, Groundhog Day tone, but the ending is satisfying, if somewhat downbeat. If you like Asian horror films, you'll probably like this a LOT better than the average viewer.

20. Ravenous (1999) - This DVD has been in my collection for probably six or seven years now, but I've just tonight gotten around to watching it--and it's another one of those films that I wish I had watched years ago, so that I could have watched it another few times by now. Ravenous is simply one of the most enjoyable films I've seen in a while. Although it takes place in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of northern California, it was actually filmed in Prague, Slovakia, and Mexico. It sure fooled me--it looked just like the American West as far as I was concerned. A great cast, an unusual but fitting musical score, and some intriguing plot twists all contribute to the most delightful movie I've seen so far this month. Oh, yeah...I almost forgot. The movie's about cannibalism at a remote Army outpost. That should give you some incentive to check it out now, huh?

21. Day of the Nightmare (1965) - Black-and-white hokum concerns a commercial artist who has more than his share of psychoses. His wife thinks he's having an affair, but she's only partially right, considering the relationship he's having is with the female half of his psyche. This should be fun, but once the nudity subsides about fifteen minutes in, it becomes a very long slog to the end. It does, however, feature the least-exciting chase by a knife-wielding psychopath ever committed to celluloid. That could be cinematographer Ted V. Mikels's (director of Astro Zombies and The Corpse Grinders) fault. Somehow, John Ireland was duped into being in this mess the same year he was in William Castle's I Saw What You Did. There were a couple of times that this film reminded me of Brian DePalma's later Dressed to Kill. Could this perhaps be an undisclosed influence? Nah, probably not.

10/10/2011

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22. The Grapes of Death (1978) - Known in its native France as Les Raisins de la Mort (which makes me think of the California Raisins gone very, very wrong), this is one of the two Jean Rollin films that I've made it all the way through. The other was Zombie Lake, which I saw waaaaaay back when it first came out on VHS and I was far less discriminating. I pretty much enjoyed this one, although it think that I liked it less for the plot than for the great views of the wine country of France. It's a gorgeous film, and it reminded me in spots of Tombs of the Blind Dead because of the architecture (and the train). As for the plot, well...been there, done that. I guess that this might have been a bit more effective when it first came out, but there have been too many zombie films in the intervening years for this one to have much of an impact. Still, the scenery alone makes it worth watching.

23. Scream of the Wolf (1974) - This made-for-TV "werewolf" movie stars Clint Walker, who made several TV movies beloved to horror fans, including the incomparable Killdozer. This one involves two hunter friends, one (Walker) quite a bit more hardcore than the other (Peter Graves). There has been a series of fatal attacks on the populace of a small town, and the clues left at the crime scenes point to the culprit being a werewolf. It turns out that it's not a werewolf doing all the killings, but Clint Walker, who's merely trying to wake the local residents (and his hunter friend Graves) out of their lethargy so that they can feel ALIVE. His reasoning is that, whether man or beast, one feels really alive only if one is in mortal danger...or some such rot. Still, it's a 1970s made-for-TV movie with horror overtones, so I love it without reservations. Your mileage may vary.

24. Moon of the Wolf (1972) - Woo hoo! Two made-for-TV werewolf movies in one night! And this one features an actual werewolf! David Janssen stars as the sheriff hunting a left-handed werewolf in the bayous of Louisiana. Also along for the ride are Barbara Rush (When Worlds Collide, It Came from Outer Space), Bradford Dillman (Bug, Piranha), and Royal Dano (House II: The Second Story, Ghoulies II). I particularly love the scene where most of the real residents of Burnside, Louisiana (the town where the film was shot) walk on a sidewalk behind some of the main actors. Suddenly, in this little podunk town where up to now we've only seen citizens in groups of two or three, dozens of people decide to take a walk downtown. On the same sidewalk. On the same block. As for the werewolf? He doesn't actually show up onscreen until the last twenty minutes or so, but when he does, the makeup is just about the worst I've ever seen.

10/11/2011

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25. Dog Soldiers (2002) - Before director Neil Marshall made the internationally popular The Descent, he cut his teeth on this film. Dog Soldiers is less a horror film than an action film in wolf's clothing. A group of Army guys is dropped into the highlands of Scotland for training exercises, but they soon find out that there is real danger waiting for them. It just so happens that there's a full moon out, and werewolves roam the countryside, looking for prey. That's the gist of the story, but it's made special by excellent performances and a script with a wicked sense of humor. Imagine Aliens with werewolves instead of, well, aliens, and set in the wilds of Scotland, and you'll have a pretty good idea of what this film is like. I went into this film fully expecting to hate it, but it won me over within a matter of minutes. The creature design for the werewolves is probably the most fearsome that I've ever seen--there's no hint of humanity in them at all. They're nasty beasts. While Dog Soldiers isn't my favorite werewolf movie, it's in the top five. Besides, any werewolf movie that features Debussy's "Clair de Lune" is okay by me.

10/12/2011

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26. Creepshow (1982) - I have to admit--I was rather dreading watching Creepshow again for the Challenge. I've seen it multiple times, including twice in the theater on its first run. It's been a while since I've last seen it, mainly because I've grown tired of it. You know the old saw: Familiarity breeds contempt. So, I was rather surprised by how much I enjoyed it while watching it tonight. Sure, it held no surprises after all these years, but I was able to better appreciate certain aspects of the film, such as the fidelity to the comic book form that the film shows. It also seems that my opinions about the individual stories have changed a bit over the years. I used to love the "Father's Day" segment, but this time around I didn't find a whole lot going on in its favor. I liked the second story a little better than I remember liking it before, and I found the third story with Leslie Nielsen to be my favorite. I think that out of all the segments, "Something to Tide You Over" best captures the feel of the old EC comics. I enjoyed "The Crate" as much as ever, and the final segment made me more uncomfortable than it ever has. I also had fun playing "spot the marble ashtray" in all the segments, and I was reminded how much I liked John Harrison's score for the film (although I think that I like his score for Romero's Day of the Dead even better). I also noticed, for the very first time, that the first song playing on the jukebox in the last segment is the song that plays on the gramophone and during the end credits of The Evil Dead. I wonder what song that is? All in all, I have to admit that Creepshow is a pretty singular achievement in horror cinema, and I'm a little ashamed to have been dreading watching it again.

10/13/2011

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27. TrollHunter (2010) - Why is it that practically every country in the world can make excellent genre films except, it seems, the United States? Yeah, yeah, I know that's a grossly simple overstatement of fact, but it certainly seems that American filmmakers and studios have lost whatever modicum of originality that they once possessed. Movie audiences deserve better than the endless string of sequels and remakes that come from Hollywood. I'm sure the movie industry bean counters will say that retreads are the only sure bets in an increasingly volatile film industry, but I can't be convinced that pouring $40 million into a film with name recognition (as New Line/Warner Brothers did with Final Destination 5) will reap bigger rewards than financing four $10 million films that give audiences something fresh. Take TrollHunter, for instance. I have no idea how well it did in its native country of Norway, but in US dollars, it only cost around $4 million to make. It certainly didn't earn that back here in the States, but if you figure in worldwide theatrical and DVD sales, it would be difficult for a film as well-made and fun as this one with a budget that small NOT to make a tidy profit. TrollHunter posits that trolls are indeed real, and that the Norwegian government is covering up their existence, using a troll hunter to keep the population down to manageable levels. I was afraid that this was going to be too cutesy for my tastes, but it's both funny and thrilling (and not at ALL cutesy). Except for those who are too cretinous to bother with reading subtitles, I can't imagine anyone who gives this film a fair shake not enjoying it. TrollHunter was, for me at least, a hugely entertaining film (and the scene right before the end credits had me laughing for most of the credit roll).

28. Elvira's Movie Macabre: The Devil's Wedding Night (1983/1973) - This 1983 episode of Movie Macabre is fairly amusing, but not nearly as funny as the film Elvira keeps interrupting, The Devil's Wedding Night. The print used by Shout! Factory on the DVD is in even worse shape than the print of Blood of Dracula's Castle on those Mill Creek multi-packs. For me, that's a positive, as the beat-up Dimension logo at the beginning (and the beat-up feature that's attached to it) reminds me of nights spent at the drive-in way back when. As for the plot, Mark Damon (poorly) plays twins who end up in Castle Dracula on the night of some ritual or other that may or may not summon the devil. My bet's on the side of "may not." Sara Bay's nipples co-star.

10/14/2011

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29. Sauna (2008) - I don't know if you've ever been hit in the face really hard, but when the blow is delivered, everything goes cockeyed. Your vision becomes skewed, your hearing becomes muffled or goes out completely, and it's hard to tell which way is up. Everything looks and sounds strange, and it takes a few seconds for you to figure out what familiar objects even are. You may be looking at a chair, but you're thinking "What is that thing? I know what that thing is...I've seen it before...it's called a...a...a CHAIR." After you suffer a fierce blow to the noggin, it often takes several minutes for you to get your equilibrium back. The world just doesn't make sense for a while. All of this stands as a preface to my thoughts on Sauna, a Finnish film that scrambled my brains in a way very, very similar to the way a concussion-force blow does. As I write this, it's been about a half-hour since I finished watching Sauna, and I still don't feel like I've gotten my land legs back. The film's plot concerns a Russian/Swedish group sent to draw up new borders for their countries after the end of a war between them. Their mission takes them through the middle of a swamp, where they find a village that has a sauna nearby. There's something not quite right about the village, but there's something very wrong indeed about the sauna. I'd love to tell you more, but I'm not sure exactly what I've seen. I haven't felt so mind-raped by a film since Lars von Trier's Antichrist. As with Antichrist, I'm not exactly sure what I've just experienced, but I know that I like it. This is a challenging film that's not for everyone (or even most people), but those who stick with it and don't mind having to think while watching a movie will be rewarded, even though it might take two or three viewings to unravel its mysteries.

10/15/2011

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30. Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (2006) - Out of all the films in this year's checklist, this is the one that I was most dreading watching. Why? Because I hate the garbage that Troma churns out. I can't think of a single Troma film that I've ever enjoyed, so I stopped watching them around twenty years ago. Once I saw that Kaufman and Herz were going to ride the unexpected success of The Toxic Avenger for all it was worth, I gave up on the company. But then, in the weeks leading up to this year's challenge, I saw several posts from forum members who seemed to enjoy Poultrygeist. After reading those posts, I thought that maybe something unique was going on with this film. It even had a "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. So, although I was dreading it, I went into the viewing of Poultrygeist with as open a mind as I could muster. My goodwill toward the film lasted about ten minutes. Once the first song was over, I realized that I was back in the same familiar ghetto that all Troma films inhabit (a.k.a. Tromaville). So, instead of dumping all over the film, I'll now list the meager rewards the film offered me: Kate Graham, who is cute enough to keep me watching her; the use of the term "lesbiotic"; and Jason Yachanin's reaction to seeing what was under Humus's traditional Muslim wardrobe. Okay, there. That's all the nice stuff I can say, except that I'm glad I only rented the DVD.

31. Event Horizon (1997) - Director Paul Anderson claims that this film has elements of Robert Wise's The Haunting and Stanley Kubrick's The Shining and 2001: A Space Odyssey. I also feel that its atmosphere owes a great deal to Ridley Scott's Alien by way of Norman Warren's Inseminoid (a.k.a. Horror Planet), and it cribs plot elements from Clive Barker's Hellraiser as well. In fact, the big contraption at the center of the Event Horizon (that's the spaceship's name as well as the name of the film) bears a strong design similarity to both Hellraiser's Lament Configuration and the Stargate from the film of the same name. I guess that it stands to reason, then, that Event Horizon ends up seeming like a sort of filmic Frankenstein, made up of parts of other movies. As in Alien, a crew is dispatched to check out a distress call from a ship far out in space. Once they get there, they slowly come to realize that, like The Haunting's Hill House, the ship is both somehow alive and full of ghosts. After all the praise this film has received on various message boards and forums, I was really looking forward to seeing it. However, I never felt that Event Horizon's disparate elements ever actually congealed into a coherent whole. It was a relatively painless watch, and I did really enjoy the workout that my subwoofer and rear surrounds got with the DTS soundtrack, but overall, I found it to be just okay.

32. MST3K: Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders (1998/1996/1984) - Awful film made up of footage from a 1984 stinker called The Devil's Gift (which ripped off Stephen King's short story "The Monkey") and footage shot exclusively for this film. In the wraparound story, Merlin, the wizard from King Arthur's court, has opened a shop in what looks to be a sketchy part of Los Angeles, where he sells talismans, magic stones, and toy monkeys. In the first story, Merlin loans his spellbook to a guy who doesn't believe that Merlin is actually a wizard. The mean guy ends up casting a youth spell on himself that reverts him back to the age of around nine months. In the second tale, the toy monkey from Merlin's shop gets stolen and ends up in a suburban household where it wreaks havoc by clapping its cymbals together and killing, in roughly chronological order, a fly, a goldfish, three houseplants, and a dog. It tries to kill a couple of people, too, but in the end Merlin shows up to take it back to the shop. All of this is subjected to a further wraparound story in which Ernest Borgnine tells all of this to his grandson, who promptly and predictably falls asleep, sort of like in The Princess Bride. Mike and the 'bots do their best to make all of this tolerable.

10/16/2011

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33. Kill, Baby...Kill! (1966) - I do dearly love Mario Bava's films. I guess my love goes back to the very first time that I saw one of his films, Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs. Sure, it may not be his best film, but as a six-year-old, I enjoyed it a lot. The next film of his that I saw was Black Sabbath, which I saw when I was around 8 or 9 years old. That experience traumatized me. Once I got older and found out who made that film, I tried to watch as many of his films as I could. I didn't catch up to Kill, Baby...Kill! until it came out on DVD around the turn of the millennium. The first time that I saw it, I thought that it was pretty good, but every time I've watched it since then I've come to admire it more. It has an atmosphere that is truly unique, some pretty effective shocks, and one of the most memorable ghosts in the genre. The film's influence is amazing, informing the work of those other great Italian auteurs, Fellini and Argento. I can even hear echoes of Kill, Baby...Kill!'s soundtrack in the music of Goblin. And lest you think that the film only influenced those in Italy decades ago, don't forget that a similar ghost was featured in FearDotCom nine years ago. Kill, Baby...Kill! is an essential Bava film, which means that it's essential viewing for ALL movie buffs.

10/17/2011

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34. Asylum (1972) - A few random thoughts about Asylum:

1. I had the paperback novelization when I was a kid. It was a prized possession of mine, since I hadn't had the chance to see the film when it first came out.

2. When I finally got to see Asylum on the CBS Late Movie, I loved the first two stories. I fell asleep at some point during the third tale. I think the film would have been more effective if the order of the first three stories were reversed. Once the third story starts, I still get bored with the rest of the film.

3. I once showed the first segment to a bunch of 9th-graders for a Halloween treat. They were shrieking so loudly that the assistant principal came to the classroom to see what all the commotion was about.

4. Asylum was in the first handful of VHS tapes I bought. It was an Interglobal Video (from Canada) tape that I bought somewhere around 1983 or so. I've still got it because it opens with the Cinerama logo and the DVD doesn't.

While I enjoy the first two stories in Asylum (and was surprised to find that the second tale had been adapted for Boris Karloff's Thriller TV series as well), the rest of the film is a big letdown. I would still probably rank it as my third-favorite Amicus film, behind The House That Dripped Blood and Tales from the Crypt.

10/18/2011

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35. Pumpkinhead (1988) - Here's a sample question from the HMAT (the Horror Movie Analogies Test): Pumpkinhead is to a good horror movie as a connect-the-dots picture is to _____________________. Your answer choices are a) rocky road ice cream; b) Sylvester the Cat; c) Queen's worldwide hit single, Bohemian Rhapsody; or d) the Mona Lisa. The correct answer is, of course, d. Stan Winston was an incredible makeup artist, but a great director he wasn't. Pumpkinheadlooks great, but it fails to build the necessary tension needed to make its clockwork plot work. It also has the problem that it contains approximately one-and-a-half likable characters, with the one being killed off early on, and the other ceasing to be likable once the other has been killed off. Pumpkinhead suffers from the same problem that many films made in the late 1980s suffer from: a lack of heart. It's sort of like a birthday cake made entirely of frosting. That time period produced a glut of films that sacrificed sturdy plots for surface flash (rather like the decade itself) and they suffered for it. I really wanted to love Pumpkinhead, but I feel it's fatally flawed.

10/19/2011

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36. The Stepfather (1987) - Man, but I used to love this movie! I still sometimes catch myself saying "Buckle up for safety!" to people putting on their seat belts. It's probably been 15 years since I'd seen The Stepfather, so I was keen to rewatch it tonight. It didn't hold up quite as well as I had hoped...the music score sounded just like dozens of other cheap thrillers from the '80s, the romantic subplot between the teenagers was awful, and every once in a while the Jerry Blake character lapsed into a Freddie Kruegeresque one-liner. But, for every groan-inducing one-liner, there's a quotable line such as "Wait a minute...who am I here?" Still, after nearly 25 years, the film works. It was the first time I'd ever seen Terry O' Quinn in a film, and I became an instant fan. I also developed a pretty big film crush on Jill Schoelen--what ever happened to her? Even though The Stepfather has lost some of its luster over the years, it's still a pretty solid little thriller, with a rousing finale and a career-making performance by Terry O' Quinn.

37. Attack of the Puppet People (1958) - Poor Mr. Franz...everybody the dollmaker has ever loved has left him, so he comes up with a way of keeping them around forever. He shrinks them to doll size and puts them in suspended animation, waking them up whenever he needs company. Fast-moving riff on Dr. Cyclops is a lot of fun, if it's taken in the right spirit. Director Bert I. Gordon's special effects are, for the most part, pretty good for such a low-budget picture. Albert Glasser did the music for this and most of Gordon's early films. I knew his ex-wife and copyist Katherine, for whatever THAT's worth.

10/20/2011

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38. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) - From Dusk Till Dawn is an enjoyable, if incredibly schizophrenic, crime caper/vampire movie. George Clooney, in his first starring movie role, and the film's writer, Quentin Tarantino, star as the Gecko brothers, who are in the middle of leaving a wide swath of murder and destruction on their way to Mexico. On the way, they kidnap a family and hold them hostage to use them and their RV as a way of crossing the Mexican border. Once there, they stop at a biker bar which turns out to be the base of operations for a mess of vampires. It's pretty obvious that none of this was to be taken seriously, but everything that happens before they get to the bar is uncomfortably violent. Once the vampires appear, the tone of the film lightens considerably, even as the bloodshed goes up to eleven. There are no weak links in the cast, with lots of surprise cameos for drive-in movie lovers. Salma Hayek's erotic dance instantly cemented her sex goddess status, makeup effects deity Tom Savini gives a memorable performance (for all the right reasons) as a biker named Sex Machine, and Cheech Marin plays three roles. Tarantino's foot fetish is in full bloom as well. Trashy fun for those who can get through the mean-spirited first 45 minutes.

10/21/2011

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39. Night of the Comet (1984) - Night of the Comet has been one of my guilty pleasures since I first saw it on VHS back in the '80s. Catherine Mary Stewart and Kelli Maroney are just perfect for their roles, and Mary Woronov shows up playing a scientist. The film has lots of quotable lines, with my favorites coming from the stockboys-turned-zombies. Writer/director Thom Eberhardt does a really good job of depicting an empty Los Angeles, and the pace never flags. It's not a classic, but it's a fun little film that deserves to be better known.

40. Phantasm (1979) - I seriously doubt that anyone reading this has never seen Phantasm. It's been a favorite of mine ever since it came out. I originally saw it at a drive-in, and if I'm remembering correctly, it was on the bottom-half of a double-bill with The Fog. The score is one of the best ever for a horror film, and I doubt that the film would work at all without it. Phantasm's one of those films that I never get tired of, and it's good to pull it out every year or so and revisit it.

41. Phantasm II (1988) - My anticipation to see this film was palpable back in the summer of 1988. For some reason, though, it didn't show up in my town on its national opening day. So, I drove 25 miles to the nearest town to see it in a brand-spanking new theater on its first day of business. I paid for my ticket, sat in my seat, and waited for it to start. And waited. And waited. Eventually, a teenager came out and announced to the rather sparse crowd that they were having difficulties and the show was cancelled. So I got my refund and went home disappointed. I drove back two days later and tried again. Everything seemed to be up and running this time. I was really getting into the mood of the film when, about 25 minutes in, the film broke. The house lights came up and someone came out and announced that it would be a few minutes until they got the film repaired. So, again, I waited. And waited. The house lights went down, and the film started again, and ran for about three seconds. Then nothing. The lights came back up, we waited, and finally we were refunded. Again. So about five days later, I decided to try one last time. The stars aligned and the film ran all the way through (with a decidedly big jump where the print damage had occurred last time). I loved it. It fulfilled every expectation that I had for the film, other than the recasting of the part of Mike. Watching it back-to-back with the original, I still like the film a lot. It's really difficult to compare it to the original, as it seems like Phantasm II is like the first film on steroids. Everything was bigger and louder. Instead of one car explosion like in Phantasm, there was a car explosion AND two house explosions in the sequel. The silver sphere was awesome in the first one, so there are three in the sequel. What once fulfilled eight years of pent-up expectations now seems to have a touch of overkill. I'm not complaining--it's just that Phantasm II has a much different vibe than Phantasm, and these days I think I like the feel of the first one better. But I love them both dearly.

10/22/2011

42. Paranormal Activity 3 (2011) - Same song, third verse. Although I liked this one slightly more than Paranormal Activity 2 (and I loved the first one), it failed to scare me at all. I never even really got a sense of unease. So, it played itself out, and I watched it with about the same level of fright as I can muster on the "Haunted Mansion" ride at the Disney parks. Having said that, there were still some mildly spooky moments, and the audience I saw it with seemed to be wholeheartedly into it, so we may well see Part 4 next October. I just hope that they lose the "found footage" conceit--this one stretched the credibility of carrying around a camcorder to the breaking point.

43. Deathdream (1974) - Also known as Dead of Night (among other titles), Deathdream is a relentlessly grim film from the gang that gave the world Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things. While I love Children, I have yet to warm up to this one as much, although by all measurable standards it's a much better film. I think that my problem with Deathdream is that it's such a downer, with absolutely nothing to relieve the film's relentless march to an unhappy ending. Deathdream has an incredible cast, especially for such a low-budget example of regional filmmaking. It also offers a really intriguing analogy to the plight of returning Vietnam war veterans, highlighting the feelings of being dead inside that many of these men felt upon coming home. Deathdream features early makeup work by Tom Savini, and one of the few movie roles for Jane Daly, who should have been a much bigger star. Keep an eye out for cameos from Alan Ormsby and Bob Clark, Deathdream's writer and director. Worth seeing--but not on a regular basis.

44. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) - I should probably preface my statements about Sweeney Todd with a few caveats:

1. I tend to dislike musicals. And by "dislike," I mean loathe.

2. When on a band trip to New York in the summer of 1979, while most of the other band nerds were geeking out to Angela Lansbury in Sweeney Todd on Broadway, I and a few other like-minded oddballs were watching Dawn of the Dead in one of the skeeviest theaters I've ever encountered.

Now that I've given sufficient background information about things, I must say that Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd is, by far, the best film I've seen all month. I really only watched it because it fulfilled two checklist items: "musical," and "won an Academy Award (any category)." (I suppose it could also have fit the "cannibalism" item, but I'd already watched Ravenous for that.) I do tend to enjoy most Tim Burton films, and I think that Johnny Depp is one of the most fearless actors to ever stand in front of a camera and emote. When they work together, some sort of weird alchemical magic usually takes place (with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory being a notable exception). This may be their finest collaboration. If you're on the fence about seeing this one, it may help to know that while Tim Burton considers Sleepy Hollow to be his Hammer homage, he considers Sweeney Todd to be his "what if Boris Karloff or Bela Lugosi had made a musical" film. It's a masterful film, and I'm already looking forward to watching it again.

10/23/2011

45. Hour of the Wolf (1968) - Well, now, THAT was something different. I haven't seen many of Ingmar Bergman's films, but I've liked all of the ones that I HAVE seen. This one's no different; I liked it, and I actually think that, for the most part, I understand it. It reminded me quite a bit of Persona, at least structurally. I do wonder whether the boy on the rocks was supposed to be the painter's son, and he was keeping it hidden from his wife that he had killed him by "sending" him the 50 kroner as a birthday gift, or whether it was another boy entirely. I find that I have to be in a particular mood to want to watch Bergman, but, luckily, I was in that mood today. The feel of this film just had to have influenced Lars von Trier when he was making Antichrist--it just had to.

46. Pink Flamingos (1972) - From the sublime to the ridiculous. I'll admit, following up a Bergman film with a John Waters film is some sort of cinematic sacrilege. But then again, Pink Flamingos itself is cinematic sacrilege, an act of movie terrorism. It's a film that, almost forty years after it was made, still leaves first-time viewers disgusted and appalled. This was probably my third time to see it, and there are parts that I still can't believe I'm actually seeing. While Deep Throat tends to get most of the credit for exploiting cultural taboos and making them somewhat more palatable for 1970s film-goers, I think that, to a lesser extent, Pink Flamingos did the same thing. In fact, even though fewer people saw it than Deep Throat, Pink Flamingos might even be more subversive, as the taboos it breaks span a much wider range of topics. I guess that I must be getting more jaded, because I found much of the film this viewing to be funnier than I remember it being. I still wouldn't recommend it to my mom, however. For those who may not think that this is a horror movie, think again, as it features mutilation, torture, cannibalism, and most infamously of all, doggy poop-eating. If you're a first-time viewer, proceed with caution.

10/24/2011

47. Dr. Renault's Secret (1942) - Dr. Renault's Secret is a fairly standard 1940s science-gone-wrong film, not particularly better or worse than any number of films coming out of the poverty row studios at that time such as The Monster Maker or The Ape Man. In it, George Zucco plays a mad scientist for the umpteenth time (as he did in The Mad Monster). Zucco's Dr. Renault had apparently seen Island of Lost Souls a decade earlier and decided to try it for himself, so he goes to Java, gets an ape, and transforms him into J. Carroll Naish. Thematically, there's nothing new going on here. The film does stand out in a couple of ways, however. First, there's Naish's performance as Noel. Naish manages to both show Noel's untamed animal side and build empathy toward him as a creature who's trapped between two natures. His performance is what really makes the film worth watching. The second bonus that the film has going for it is the sensual nature of the art direction. The digital restoration process has really brought out the textures of objects in the film, particularly the rough surfaces of stone, burlap, and rope. It's incredible how much detail is shown in the suit that Naish wears in the film. The film's plot may be standard, but Fox's presentation of Dr. Renault's Secret is noteworthy. Worth a gander if you've got a spare hour.

48. Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead (1993) - And so it's back to the land of the Tall Man. Mike and Reggie are still looking for the Tall Man, but when the Tall Man takes Mike, Reggie is forced to look for them on his own. While looking, he stumbles across a kid and a militant chick, and the three of them team up to seek out the Tall Man and Mike. While the effects of having a too-small budget definitely show, Phantasm III makes up for it in gonzo inventiveness. Unfortunately, it also steals ideas and lines from other movies in the process--Tim's house and his methods for dispatching unwanted visitors is similar to Home Alone (albeit cranked up a notch), and Reggie has a couple of one-liners stolen from other movies. Still, while not quite up to the standards of its predecessors, Phantasm III is diverting fun, and it expands the mythos of the series in substantial ways.

49. Act of Vengeance (a.k.a. Rape Squad) (1974) - Director Bob Kelljan's fourth film in a row (and last) for AIP, following the Count Yorga films and Scream, Blacula, Scream, Act of Vengeance (the film's video title; it was released to theaters as Rape Squad) is sort of like I Spit on Your Grave in reverse. Instead of featuring a gang rape of one woman who then gets her revenge, we have a serial rapist whose victims get together to get their revenge. It's not very good, but it's very, very typical of '70s drive-in fare. The rapist wears a hockey mask, predating Jason Voorhees by about eight years. If you recognize any of the cast, you're a true '70s exploitation aficionado.

50. Night School (1981) - If you've never seen a slasher movie before, this would be a good place to start. If you're an old pro at viewing this kind of thing, however, you should be able to figure out who the killer is pretty early on. Night School isn't as bad as most folks online tend to make it, but that doesn't mean that it's very good, either. Someone is decapitating the night school students of a women's college and leaving their heads in things that contain water--a barrel, a city aquarium, a sink, a duck pond, a toilet.... Rachel Ward stars as an exchange student in her first theatrical film.

10/25/2011

51. Theater of Blood (1973) - I remember first reading about this film in Famous Monsters. Randy Palmer had written an article called "R is for Revenge," in which he detailed the plots of three Vincent Price films that all had revenge as a motif: The Abominable Dr. Phibes, Dr. Phibes Rises Again, and Theater of Blood. Because The Abominable Dr. Phibes was one of my favorite films at the time (and still is, for that matter), the article became my favorite ever published in FM and I was determined to track down Theater of Blood and watch it. (Years later, when I was living in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, I became acquaintances with Randy Palmer, and I told him how much his article had meant to me in my youth.) When I finally saw Theater of Blood, I was a little disappointed. I felt (and still feel) that the first Phibes film is the superior film. My opinion has mellowed over the years, however, and I enjoy Theater of Blood now...but it's no Phibes.

10/26/2011

52. The Black Belly of the Tarantula (1971) - Someone is killing women by first injecting them with a paralyzing venom then stabbing them. Who could it be, and why are they doing it? I found this really good-looking Italian/French co-production (with a great score by Ennio Morricone) to be oddly uninvolving. I think that my problem with it is that the audience is put on the same footing as the detective, which means that we (and he) have no idea who's doing the killing or why. Because of this, the film becomes a string of murder set-pieces that weren't visually interesting enough to keep my attention from wandering. (Another debit was the film within the film wherein an entomologist identified what looked to be a garden spider as a tarantula. What a keen scientific mind HE had! And while I'm at it, I was disappointed that Barbara Bach only showed up long enough to be introduced, then promptly killed. I also expected "Yakety Sax" to start playing every time the gay guy that worked at the spa was onscreen.) Some may find that keeping the audience in the dark as to the rhyme and reason of the killings is a good thing (after all, it certainly worked for Psycho), but rather than drawing me into the film, it served instead to distance me from it.

10/27/2011

53. Repulsion (1965) - Wow. I can't believe that this is the first time that I've ever seen Repulsion. I'm kind of floored by the whole experience. At first, I didn't think that I was going to like the film. But as is so often the case with me, a seemingly inconsequential moment occurred that made me suddenly realize that I was about to get behind the film one hundred percent. In Repulsion, that moment came when the banjo busker and his spoons-playing sidekicks first showed up in the film. The scene really didn't add anything thematically to the film, but it surprised me that what I at first thought was just another musical cue of the interesting score by Chico Hamilton turned out to be coming from people in the scene. It faked me out...and made me realize that Polanski was going to have some tricks up his sleeve. That was the exact moment that I gave in to the film, and I realized that, wherever Polanski was going to take me, I was ready to follow. It's a chilling film, but it has a sly wit about it as well, as do all of the really great horror films (such as Bride of Frankenstein and Psycho). It's not currently my favorite Polanski film, but I'm beginning to think that a rewatch or two might change my opinion.

10/28/2011

54. Burn, Witch, Burn (1962) - I was quite surprised that Burn, Witch, Burn was as good as it was. It reminded me a lot of Curse of the Demon, but that could have been just because both films were set in England, were shot in black and white, and had some sort of supernatural basis. I won't go as far as Trevor and Undeadcow and say that this was my favorite FTV of this year's Challenge, but it was mighty tasty.

55. Shivers (a.k.a They Came from Within) (1975) - Pretty amazing first film (not counting his earlier experimental works) from director David Cronenberg plays like a cross between Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 28 Days Later, and The Devil in Miss Jones. What I find really astounding about the film is that traces of all the themes that he's addressed in his career can pretty much be found here (even an impressive car crash in an underground parking garage). It's a little sketchy on the technical side of things, and some of the performances could have been more polished, but the sheer audacity of the story carries this one a long way. Near the end, as the doctor is trying to escape the building, I was reminded of Wendy Torrence's flight from the Overlook Hotel in The Shining. Really disturbing and surreal images show up in both of these sequences; the one that really disturbed me in this film was the two kids being walked as if they were dogs. While it's hard for me to pick a favorite early Cronenberg film, I'd probably choose this one if forced to make a decision, as I find it more interesting every time I see it. Apropos of nothing--when the film was playing in my town as They Came from Within, my best friend's sister went and saw it. The next day I pressed her for details, and she said that it was the grossest movie that she'd ever seen. She described it as "people throwing up lizards," and she left the theater about midway through the showing. Her description wasn't too far off the mark.

10/29/2011

56. Amusement (2008) - If you put your brain on hold for an hour and a half, you just might enjoy certain aspects of this film. The things that it gets right, it gets very, very right. For starters, the film looks absolutely amazing. I guess that production budgets go farther in Hungary (where Amusement was shot) than they do in the States, but even taking that into account, this is one mighty fine-looking film (and the run-down pension in the third segment is just about the creepiest-looking place that I've ever seen). Another thing that I liked about it is that it's an anthology film...but it's not. The story structure was intriguing, with three seemingly-unrelated stories getting tied together in the fourth story. I also thought that all three lead actresses were gorgeous. As for the things that Amusement gets wrong, the most egregious of its errors is that it doesn't even try to be logical. As you're watching, there's a goodly bit of directorial sleight-of-hand going on that keeps you from questioning the logic of the film, but after it's over, you'll probably find yourself thinking back over it and going "Now wait a minute...." For instance, ask yourself how and why the trauma specialist lady was there to talk to one of the characters. There's also the problem that the villain, besides having the ultra-stupid name of "The Laugh," is operating from a totally unbelievable motive. I really can't believe that an adult could be driven to such incredible lengths to get revenge simply because three girls were disapproving of his "art" project when they were all ten years old. Another thing that I really hated was the narration at the end of the film. It's okay for a film to have narration--I'm not knocking the use of it in general; however, to go eighty minutes without it and suddenly use it to wrap up a film is irritating and condescending. Even with the faults that it has, I still found myself, almost against my will, enjoying Amusement, and I'll probably watch it again in the future, just to check out that pension again.

57. Alice Cooper: Welcome to My Nightmare (1975) - A live filming of Alice Cooper's Welcome to My Nightmare show from the mid-'70s, this film brings back a lot of musical memories. It was just around this time that I was beginning to listen to Alice Cooper, and I've always loved the Welcome to My Nightmare album. The film is a mixed bag, however. Visually, the DVD producers have probably done the best that the could with the material that they had, but the audio could still have used more work. I felt that the first part of the film dragged horribly--the pacing was all wrong. I looked at the counter on the DVD player at one point, thinking that at least an hour had gone by, and it was only up to a little over twenty minutes. Somewhere around the 35-minute mark, however, the film settled into a good pace and I enjoyed the rest of the show. For me, the showstopper was the song "Escape"; while the song itself is rather forgettable, the way in which it was staged was fascinating. Other highlights: hearing Vincent Price's voice booming throughout Wembley Stadium at the beginning of "The Black Widow"; the spider costumes for the same song; and, of course, The Cyclops. All in all, Alice Cooper: Welcome to My Nightmare turned out to be a mostly pleasant trip into nostalgia.

10/30/2011

58. Child's Play 2 (1990) - Child's Play 2 is just about what I expected from the sequel to a surprise hit movie about a killer doll. If you saw Child's Play, you should pretty much know what you're gonna get before you ever sit down to watch this first sequel. Among the more pleasant aspects of the film: seeing Jenny Agutter and Gerrit Graham in any film, ever, is always nice; Kevin Yagher and his crew have broadened the range of expressions that Chucky can make; it's good (and unusual) that the first film's writer, Don Mancini, is back for the second go-round; and the finale in the toy factory is fun. Child's Play 2 is like last Thursday's lunch--satisfactory while it's going down, but you won't remember much about it a week later.

59. The Possession of David O'Reilly (2010) - I think that, in all fairness to this film, I should hold off any sort of critical judgement until after I've seen it again. It's taken me approximately four hours to get through this film, as my ISP has apparently decided to take a weekend break; ergo, my Netflix streaming doesn't. It will trickle a bit here and there, but I never get more than about six minutes of uninterrupted video, and then it has to "refresh" for about ten. I called said ISP and asked them to check on it; they said that there did seem to be something wrong with the line, but no one would be available to look at it until tomorrow. At least this was the last of the streaming subset films for me. I have a feeling, though, than an uninterrupted watch won't help tremendously--I was getting the same vibe while watching The Possession of David O'Reilly that I got when I watched Session Nine, and I really don't like that movie. I'm not a fan of most movies that try to get inside the mind of a mentally unhinged person and show us what's it's like in there (Repulsion being a notable exception), and that's what this one seemed to be doing (except, of course, for the last shot, which makes me think that the directors couldn't make up their minds). I WILL say that I thought that the music was great.

60. Home Movie (2008) - Last year, when posting my thoughts on the British film The Children, I had this to say about killer kid movies: "I guess because I spend most of my day around large numbers of children (as a public school district employee), I usually don't find killer kids movies to be too scary. I mean, kids are small, and they don't have sharp fangs or claws like dangerous animals. So even if dozens of children suddenly turned rabid, I don't think that it'd be that difficult to defend yourself against them or escape." After watching Home Movie, I take all that back. I've finally watched a film about evil kids that actually made me uncomfortable. The kids in Home Movie aren't merely bad...they're dangerously psychotic, and some of the things that they did in this movie really unnerved me. I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it, but I will say that if the killers in Funny Games had been 10 years old, it would have turned out a lot like this film. Easily one of the highlights of this year's challenge for me.

10/31/2011

61. Lady in White (1988) - An interesting (if overlong) ghost story set in 1962, Lady in White is also a pretty engaging mystery. Someone killed a child in the cloakroom of the school ten years ago, and, because he's been locked in that same cloakroom due to a prank, 10-year-old Frankie sees a ghostly reenactment of the murder. Unfortunately, he also sees the killer come back to retrieve a piece of evidence, and Frankie almost gets killed when he's discovered by the killer. The room is too dark for him to see the face of his attacker, and thus the mystery gets set in motion. The ghost story is actually rather incidental to the plot (save for one big clue that Frankie gleans from the ghostly reenactment), and it serves mainly to inject a bit of Spielbergian magic into the proceedings. While I liked this film a lot when it first came out, it hasn't worn well, with too much comic relief from the main character's grandparents and too many loose plot threads. For instance, the film begins with Frankie flying into the local airport and hiring a cab to take him from the airport to (presumably) his father's house. In the cab, we learn that he's a writer of horror novels. Adult Frankie asks the cab driver to stop at a cemetery, where he visits two gravestones. The film then segues into the past, where Adult Frankie chimes in with helpful narration a time or two. When the film ends, it ends in the past, and we never find out what happened to Adult Frankie. He never even adds a voice-over saying "And that's what happened when I was ten," or something to that effect, a la Stand by Me. Still, it's a much better film than LaLoggia's previous Fear No Evil, and except for a few cheesy special effects, it looks pretty good. It's not a fully satisfying film, but it's not a total waste of time, either.

October 3(10 hours, 58 minutes watched) [Cult favorites theme night]01. Cropsey * (2009, 84 minutes) 7.5/10 Documentary paralleling lunatic campfire stories to real life disappearance of kids in 1980s New York. Mixes themes of satanism and insane murderers with the news sensationalism in a framework tributing horror legends. Portrays modern social angst surrounding treatment of I'll people after deinstitutionalization and although not creepy it weaves a mythos surrounding community superstition similar to the Blair Witch movies. Format: DVD; public library.02. Santa Sangre * + (1989, 123 minutes) 8.5/10 Aside from the striking imagery and well integrated music score this had some great themes. The ending was a little disappointing but overall well worth checking out. Format: Online streaming; Netflix.03. Popcorn * + (1991, 91 minutes) 4/10 I don't understand the fanfare surrounding Popcorn. The homages to William Castle and Phantom of the Opera were cutesy but this film didn't have clever enough gags to be as playful as it is so comes across weak. Format: Online streaming; Netflix.04. The 7th Victim * (1943, 71 minutes) 7/10 Val Lewton's reputation for building suspense continues here. For a satanic thriller the devil material is downplayed but the emphasis on understanding mortality has some depth. Format: DVD; personal collection.05. Frogs * + (1972, 91 minutes) 6.5/10 Although I never understood the appeal of this film having seen it I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It's got an odd blend of campiness blended with a potentially cool but misfired reptilian horror theme (shades of Lovecraft). Format: Online streaming; Netflix.06. Troll 2 * + (1990, 95 minutes) [Unclassifiable]/10 Some interesting surrealism that fades into non-sense with the fantasy angle being too ill concieved. Not sure how to comment on a movie like Troll 2. The wooden acting is amazing. Format: Online streaming; Netflix.07. Scanners * + (1981, 103 minutes) 8/10 Didn't really feel like a horror movie but good pacing with sci-fi action and suspense.Format: DVD; personal collection.

October 3(7 hours, 34 minutes watched) [Viral/Infection theme night]08. Rabid [aka Rage] + (1977, 91 minutes) 6.5/10 The themes of addiction and emotional need are great and ambitious but the fim feels unpolished. Format: DVD; personal collection.09. The Last Man on Earth * + (1964, 86 minutes) 8/10 Good theme use to convey loneliness and isolation with using flashbacks to strengthen the backstory. Format: Online streaming; Netflix.10. The Ring Virus * + (1999, 108 minutes) 7/10 Very surreal if you've seen all the other movies with mild but amusing differences from the other J-horror and US remake. Format: DVD; personal collection.11. Monster House (2006, 91 minutes) 7/10 One of the kid, I admire Monster House's spirit but it falls trying to develop an origin story and evil house romantic subplot. Format: DVD; personal collection.12. [Rec] * + (2007, 78 minutes) 8.5/10 Good suspense with logical but unpredictable progression but a little slow to start. Format: DVD; personal collection.

October 3(7 hours, 41 minutes watched) ["JawsPloitation" theme night]13. Piranha * + (1978, 94 minutes) 7.5/10 Better than I expected with awesomely fake fish but more emphasis on human suspense than ecological terror. Format: DVD; personal colletion.14. Piranha+ (2010, 88 minutes) 7/10 Part music video, part horror movie. More of a sequel than a remake with some good energy and gore. Format: DVD; personal colletion.15. Orca the Killer Whale * + (1977, 92 minutes) 7/10 A killer whale revenge movie set complete with hammy scottish accents that is as good as it could have been although a bit too much of a Jaws clone (shadows of Moby Dick and Frankenstein).Format: Online streaming; Youtube.16. Creature * (1985, 97 minutes) 4/10 Bland darkened set design with no viable "creature" appearance till the last section and unmotivated acting. Never did I think I'd end up liking a killer whale movie more than an Alien rip says the evil alien brain slug.Format: Online streaming; Netflix.17. Puppetmaster * (1989, 90 minutes) 7/10 Much better than I expected despite the corny script. Looking forward to checking out the sequels, made possible by $5 Walmart bin.Format: Online streaming; Netflix.

October 4(4 hours, 49 minutes watched) [1970s theme night]18. The Mighty Peking Man [aka Goliathon] * + (1977, 87 minutes) 4/10 Despite having one of the most amazing veiled sex analogy in the world this came across as a bland rip-off right down to the giant monkey swating planes. Apparently giant monkey = horror. Blah.Format: Online streaming; Netflix.19. Vampire Circus * + (1972, 87 minutes) 7/10 Much better than I expected, on the face of it Hammer Horror films look so classical they seem bland but so far they've delivered. Lulls a little in the middle but a spirited eccentric film.Format: Online streaming; Netflix.20. Picnic at Hanging Rock * + (1975, 115 minutes) 7.5/10 Subtle and dramatic with good suspense. This ended up being much better than I expected. The world needs more victorian horror movies.Format: DVD; rental (Vulcan Video).

October 5(4 hours, 40 minutes watched) [French theme night]21. The Horde * + (2009, 90 minutes) 7.5/10 Fast paced and gruesome zombie movie with good energy and a lot of fun but perhaps too gritty with unlikable characters. Format: Online streaming; Netflix.22. Repulsion (1965, 105 minutes) 9/10 Suspenseful and paced british film; Roman Polanski is a master and this is one of his best.Format: DVD; rental (Vulcan Video).23. The Grapes of Death + (1978, 85 minutes) 8/10 Long gaps of film with limited dialogue and wide atmospheric landscape cinematography create a lyrical and surreal zombie film. The insert booklet compares this with Night of the Living Dead but as classic as Romero is I find these contaminated humans turning into zombies creepier. Is the blind girl suppose to be metaphoric or just a cheap plot vechicle?Format: DVD; personal collection.

October 6(5 hours, 21 minutes watched) [Video Nasties theme night]24. The Most Dangerous Game * (1932, 63 minutes) 9/10 Remarkable film with good suspense and characters.Format: DVD; Personal collection.25. Calling Dr Death [Inner Sanctum Mysteries]* (1943, 63 minutes) 6.5/10 Decent horror mystery with shadows of the Tell-tale Heart. Good retro stylings. I think I would have liked it even more if The Most Dangerous Game hadn't rocked me just before.Format: DVD; personal collection26. Dead & Buried * + (1981, 94 minutes) 7.5/10 Atmospheric with a chilling ending; altogether a very different film that benefits from multiple viewings.[/COLOR] Format: DVD; Personal collage.27. I Spit On Your Grave (Commentary track with Joe Bob Briggs) * + (1978, 101 minutes) 8.5/10 I Spit On Your Grave always seemed dated to me but the Joe Bob Briggs commentary was worth-while. He discusses point of view within the film and cites some of the critical reactions. He expounds on the feminist qualities of the film to flesh it out more. A worth-while commentary. The commentary makes rape/revenge seems like an art form.Format: DVD; Personal collage.

October 7(4 hours, 27 minutes watched) [British horror theme night]28. Malabimba the Malicious Whore (Uncensored) * (1979, 97 minutes) 5.5/10 This caught my attention because it's going out of print and looks crazy. In reality the supernatural is downplayed and the sexuality is startling against the otherwise mundane plot. Interesting ending.Format: DVD; rental (Vulcan Video).29. Asylum * + (1972, 88 minutes) 5.5/10 Spirited anthology film but falters with hit or miss stories and the asylum theme doesn't work for me. Started off strong with the first story then lulls. Format: DVD; rental (Vulcan Video).30. The Curse of Frankenstein * + (1957, 82 minutes) 7/10 Hammer Horror nails it again. Suspenseful Frankenstein retelling with a strong Dr Frankenstein character and the power struggles he gets into with mentor and wife. Format: DVD; rental (Vulcan Video).

October 8(6 hours, 38 minutes watched) [Action horror theme night]31. Torso * (1973, 85 minutes) 6.5/10 Very stylized giallo with some absurd red herrings. Enjoyable but irredeemable. Format: DVD; rental (Vulcan Video).32. Daughters of Darkness (1971, 100 minutes) 7/10 The subtlety in this movie is great and the setting with minimal characters creates a sense of concentrated intimacy. I still don’t understand the “mother” subplot and some of the death scenes are oddball but it doesn’t under-estimate the viewing. Format: DVD; personal collection.33. From Dusk Till Dawn + (1996, 108 minutes) 7.5/10 Crazy genre bender that doesn’t pull any punches with stylized violence and has machismo to spare pulling off a vampire strip club. Format: DVD; personal collection.34. John Carpenter’s Vampires + (1998, 108 minutes) 5/10 When I first saw this film (in high school) I really enjoyed it but that hasn’t held up. James Woods is the least convincing hardened vampire hunter ever. Worth it for an absurd non-sense scene where a vampire rips apart people at a hooker party financed by the Vatican and an ambitious attempt at a horror western. Format: DVD; personal collection.

October 9(7 hours, 53 minutes watched) [Asian horror theme night]35. Snake Woman’s Curse * + (1968, 85 minutes) 6/10 Slow paced ghost revenge story with some good imagery shadowed by the director’s other film, Jigoku. Some of the social commentary was a little too transparent. Format: DVD; personal collection.36. Onibaba + (1964, 103 minutes) 6.5/10 Atmospheric film fueled by human drama with some subtle supernatural elements. None of the characters adding to the barrent atmosphere and tension. Format: DVD; personal collection.37. Wild Zero * + (2000, 98 minutes) 7/10 Filled with rock star attitude and cheap effects. Format: DVD; personal collection.38. Bubba Ho-tep (2002, 92 minutes) 3/10 Has oddball cult potential but most of the humor comes across as too juvenile. After getting it for $3 at Big Lots and now somehow watching it 4 times I’ve gotten my money’s worth but I think it becomes more painful after every viewing. I wish Coscarelli would give up on a Bubba sequel and focus on Phantasm 5 (which is not even rumored). Format: DVD; personal collection.39. Premonition * + (2004, 95 minutes) 8/10 Surreal psychic ghost story with excellent twists and plot development. This sat on my shelf for years because the plot seemed bland but it delivers in execution. Format: Online streaming; Netflix.

October 11(4 hours, 32 minutes watched) [Werewolf theme night]45. The Beast Within + (1982, 98 minutes) 7.5/10 I remember first seeing this on TNT as part of Joe Bob Briggs' Monstervision so maybe the late night cable memories bias me towards liking Beast Within. Part backwoods slashes, part creature film results in a dark film. Format: Online streaming; Netflix.46. Dog Soldiers + (2002, 105 minutes) 8.5/10 Tense action horror with claustrophic blockaded house plot. I've seen it several times before and it holds up well. Format: DVD; personal collection.47. The Wolf Man * + (1941, 69 minutes) 7/10 Interesting scientific rationalism versus emotional mysticism subplot. Out of all the Universal horror films this one seems more eccentric with gypsies and pentagrams along with a passive and unaware monster. Format: Online streaming; Netflix.

October 12(4 hours, 55 minutes watched) [Stephen King theme night]48. Sauna * (2008, 83 minutes) 8/10 Cerebral horror film with interesting themes/imagery and some apparent depth that seems impenetrable. This is one I'll want to catch again and give more thought.. Format: DVD; rental.49. Children of the Corn + (1984, 92 minutes) 8/10 The parody of religion and youth is interesting and the film has a slow creepy pacing but is at times too slow. There's a character in here who helps fill the lack of creepy red headed kids in horror films and Linda Hamilton seems very young in this film. I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought it would although it has not aged well. Format: DVD; personal collection.50. Creepshow + (1982, 120 minutes) 4.5/10 Fun anthology film and although the homage to EC Comics is charming the stories generally come up short. My favorites are The Crate and the bug segment. Leslie Neilson in a serious role is confusing. Format: DVD; personal collection.

October 13(6 hours, 14 minutes watched) [Found footage theme night]51. Night of the Blood Beast (Mystery Science Theater 3000) * (1958 (film) / 1996 (MST3K episode); 97 minutes) 2/10 I want to like the concept but I mostly find MST3K boring rarely becoming more than cutesy. I resolve to never again watch MST3K having already wasted too much of my life on that. Night of the Blood Beast was a slow film but with a cool b-movie monster. Format: Online streaming; Netflix.52. [Rec] 2 * + (2009, 85 minutes) 8.5/10 Amazing follow-up to [Rec] with intense pacing that follows immediately after the original with it’s near end plot twist. Because the creatures and backstory are presented differently the sequel remains fresh weakend only by an awkward plot point involving night vision near the end. Format: DVD; rental (Redbox).53. Trollhunter * + (2010, 103 minutes) 7.5/10 Creative film in a different subgenre than has become a staple, Trolls. Clever plot devices but some of the mythology felt rocky (various types of trolls, chasing Christians, etc). Does an admirable job of reaching a climatic peak for a film about Trolls, a topic that in itself seems less menacing. Format: Online streaming; Netflix.54. The Stepfather * (1987, 89 minutes) 7/10 Mundane story made interesting with existential questions. I remember seeing the Stepfather movies in with rentals as a kid and I always though the premise of an evil stepfather would make for a poor horror film. O’Quinn’s acting and a strong script pulls it through. Format: DVD; rental (Vulcan Video).

October 14(3 hours, 1 minute watched) [Supernatural/ghost theme night]55. The Legend of Hell House * + (1973, 95 minutes) 7/10 Colorful film with who-dunit elements surrounding a haunted house. Sometimes lacks subtlety (4 psychics is a bit overkill) but generally interesting. Format: Online streaming; Netflix.56. Pumpkinhead + (1988, 86 minutes) 3.5/10 The Pumpkinhead monster shows potential but the film is trash. The hillbilly folklore elements are interesting but I know Lance Henrickson is a better actor than he shows here and most of the movie is kids running around acting oblivious. How did this end up with 3 sequels? RIP Stan Winston. Format: DVD; rental (Vulcan Video).

October 14(6 hours, 6 minutes watched) [Comedy theme night]57. The Golem * (1920, 91 minutes) 6.5/10 Silent film with elaborate sets and an obvious influence on Frankenstein. Like with Trollhunter it’s good to see ethnic mythology turned into a horror film. Although The Golem is not frightening it has a unique historical political feel and despite it’s age is refreshingly original (not many clay monster films out there). Format: Online streaming; Netflix.58. Poultygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead * + (2006, 103 minutes) 6.5/10 Insane gore with clever commentary and biting humor in an intelligent film disappointed by too often resorting to poop jokes. The first third of the movie is slow and filled with in-your-face disgusting gags but the last third of the film is a great campy gore-fest with funny creatures and plot. There are some inspired touches like the use of broadway style musical interludes. Format: BluRay ; Personal Collection.59. Cannibal Girls * + (1973, 84 minutes) 6.5/10 Ivan Reitman before Ghostbusters + Eugene Levy before American Pie = slow thriller with my favorite ending so far this challenge. Format: DVD; rental (Vulcan Video).60. House (aka Hausu) * + (1977, 88 minutes) 7.5/10 Visually complicated surreal film that is stylish and elaborate but makes little sense. Amazing imagery often so absurd to be cute but with a feminine point of view that feels panicked. Odd slow romantic feeling music that clashes with the on-screen images. The insert book accurately points out the director’s fascination with schoolgirls and that the characters get progressively more nude as the film progresses so there’s a sleazy undercurrent. Format: DVD; rental (Vulcan Video).

October 16(7 hours, 18 minutes watched) [Italian horror theme night]61. Kill Baby Kill + (1966, 80 minutes) 7/10 This was my introduction to Mario Bava last year and on second viewing it holds up well. Knowing the plot helps pull out more material intended for subtle set-up. I love the over-the-top set design. Format: DVD; personal collection.62. Planet of the Vampires * + (1965, 86 minutes) 6/10 Dated and slow but well executed with set-up that foreshadows Alien and Lifeforce. Nice twist ending. Format: Online streaming; Netflix.63. Lisa and the Devil * + (1976, 92 minutes) 8/10 Hallucinatory and hard to follow but delivers the goods. At times it feels disconnected but other times creepy; often subtle and leaves it to the viewer to figure out what is going on. Format: DVD; personal collection.64. Nude for Satan * + (1974, 82 minutes) 3.5/10 Despite the eye catching title this film is non-sense salvaged only by pop culture psychology guesses at the meaning behind everything. There is a disappointing lack of Satan, cheesy wardrobe, and the worst spider effects ever. Format: DVD; personal collection.65. The Prophecy (1995, 98 minutes) 7.5/10 The Prophecy has always been a guilty pleasure for me. Quirky characters with a balance between one side versus another not often seen in horror movies so there’s a sense of epic conflict (not just another disposable teenage victim, worthy religious battle). The native American bit is silly… but it’s got the guy from Re-Animator. Format: DVD; personal collection.

October 17(4 hours, 31 minutes watched) [Anthology theme night]66. The Prophecy II (1998, 87 minutes) 8/10 Better pacing and plot than the first Prophecy movie without so much wordy explanation. Format: DVD; personal collection.67. Tales of Terror * + (1962, 89 minutes) 6/10 Lack of subtlety left this feeling muted and the use of the same actors in each skit hurt establishment of character. Maybe Poe has become too over-exposed to remain scary/tense. The first segment was the best. Format: DVD; personal collection.68. Haunting at the Beacon* + (2009, 95 minutes) 6.5/10 Twisted ending with a nice spin on ghost mythos. The build-up is creepy although not always original. Format: Online streaming; Netflix.

October 18(6 hours, 03 minutes watched) [Fanchise/iconic theme night]69. Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995, 88 minutes) 2.5/10 Misses more than it hits, but I have a disability that prevents me from thinking Mel Brooks is as hilarious as others seem to regard him. Remarkably faithful to the source for a spoof. Format: Online streaming; Netflix. 70. The Video Dead * (1987, 90 minutes) 6/10 Cheap fun with good atmospheric zombies. The zombie behavior is slapdash but the idea of an evil TV is great and Video Dead knows how to have fun. Format: Online streaming; Netflix. 71. Children of the Corn * + (1987, 90 minutes) 7/10 I enjoyed Children of the Corn more than I thought I would. I didn’t think I had seen this before but remember I had. Format: DVD; Personal collection. 72. A Nightmare on Elm Street * + (2010, 95 minutes) 2/10 Ineffective remake that tries too hard to explain the Freddy store. New Freddy is less animated but comes across stiff not creepy. Even for a remake there’s not a lot of originality in this one. I took off points because it makes me sad to see what could be a great franchise die; even the crappy Christianity mythos wasn’t as bad as this. Format: DVD; Personal collection.

October 20(4 hours, 35 minutes watched) [Vampire theme night]75. Hellboy: Blood and Iron * + (2007, 75 minutes) 7/10 Gets crazy with so many villians taking advantage of the animated presentation. Weak plot but good presentation. Format: Online streaming; Netflix. 76. Thirst * + (1979, 93 minutes) 9/10 So far Thirst is my favorite first time viewing this month. The mean spirited psychological gags come across with dark humor and there is a lot of psychological bends in this film. Although dated it’s a depraved and original film with a fresh take on vampires. The medical plot point is creepy and graphic driving home the thrill. Format: DVD; personal collection. 77. Dracula (Spanish Version0 * + (1931, 104 minutes) 5/10 I think I’m getting burnt out on Bram Stoker presentations so don’t think I was able to appreciate this on it’s own merits. Format: Online streaming; Personal collection.

October 21(3 hours watched) [Apocalyptic theme night]78. Night of the Comet + (1984, 95 minutes) 7.5/10 Popcorn fun movie that is a nice diversion from genre convictions. I love the playful style and 80s feel of this movie. Between this and Sole Survivor director Thom Eberhart doesn’t get the credit he deserves (especially not after “inspiring” the acclaimed Final Destination and 28 Days Later which blatantly rip off his films); note to self: Check out Naked Fear (Eberhart’s other/recent horror film). Format: DVD; Personal collection. 79. The Zombie Diaries * + (2006, 85 minutes) 3/10 A forgettable bore, maybe I’m getting burnt on too many horror movies but Zombie Dairies blows. Format: DVD; Personal collection.

October 22(5 hours, 16 minutes watched) [Zombie theme night]80. White Zombie * + (1932, 69 minutes) 7/10 Cartoonish and playful environment with diabolical over-the-top villain focused on human drama in a love triangle. Spirited film with good energy. Format: Online streaming; Netflix. 81. Aaah Zombies!(aka Wasting Away) * + (2007, 90 minutes) 5.5/10 Based on a clever gag premise that is not interesting enough to carry a whole film. The humor is off being too silly to be funny and not dark enough for black comedy. Format: Online streaming; Netflix. 82. Equinox… A Journey Into the Supernatural * + (1967, 71 minutes) 6/10 Interesting precursor to the Evil Dead films with dated but interesting stop motion effects. At times disjointed but always well paced as assorted supernatural forces attack 4 “teens”. Format: DVD; Personal collection. 83. The Strangers * + (2008, 86 minutes) 6.5/10 Tense films that is only effective because the villians are given unrealistic license making suspension of disbelief hard at times (even for a horror movie). Out of all the movies based at a cabin in the woods this is good at conveying a sense of trapped isolation. Format: DVD; Personal collection.

October 23(6 hours, 26 minutes watched) [Gothic/atmospheric theme night]84. Lady in White * + (1988, 112 minutes) 7/10 Good sense of mystery with a “Christmas Story” kids viewpoint vibe. Format: DVD; rental (Vulcan Video)85. Brain Damage * (1988, 84 minutes) 7.5/10 Original and unique film that addresses addiction. The ending is good but out of nowhere. Format: DVD; rental. 86. Who Can Kill A Child? * (1976, 107 minutes) 8/10 Much better than I expected although a bit preachy at times. This out does Children of the Corn as the definitive evil children movie. At least one very inventive memorable death. Format: DVD; rental. 87. Carnival of Souls(Directors Cut) + (1962, 83 minutes) 8/10 Ethereal film with creepy tone but lulls a bit in the middle. Format: DVD; personal collection.

October 24(5 hours, 48 minutes watched) [Mutant theme night]88. It’s Alive * + (1974, 91 minutes) 8/10 I’ve always heard good things about It’s Alive and was expecting some sleazy oddity about a killer baby but instead found something with more depth about a father trying to manage the fallout of mutant birth. A nice positive surprise. Format: DVD; personal colletion. 89. It Lives Again * + (1978, 91 minutes) 7.5/10 Deserving follow-up to It’s Alive with more evil babies tries to one up the original but loses some of the subtle mystery/drama about the first. The gag of rarely showing the creature worked well in the first but in the second comes across more strained in the second which has a more action vibe. Format: DVD; personal collection. 90. Mad Monster Party? (1967, 94 minutes) 5.5/10 The animation and design are great but a lot of the gags fall flat. For a “family” move it’s great but very corny. Format: DVD; personal collection. 91. Scooby Doo Camp Scare! (2010, 72 minutes) 5/10 Surprisingly entertaining for a Scooby Doo movie, although classic they have become unoriginal and dull. Good production quality and a variety of madcap setup involving 2 monsters. I rated it lower because Scooby Doo is great but it’s plot format is wearing thin and it’s not my style. Format: Online streaming; Netflix.

October 26(3 hours, 06 minutes watched) [Splatter theme night]94. Black Belly of the Tarantula * + (1971, 89 minutes) 4.5/10 A cool premise that is ruined by slow clinical pacing focusing on a frustrated police officer. Format: Online streaming, Netflix. 95. Nightmare (aka Nighmares in a Damaged Brain) * + (1981, 97 minutes) 6.5/10 Did not live up to the hype as a lost horror gem but for a serial killer movie has an interesting lead and some good splatter. A lot of the psychological fantasy elements come off strained. Format: DVD, rental.

October 27(1 hours, 53 minutes watched) [Psychological theme night]96. Psycho II* + (1983, 113 minutes) 8/10 A worthwhile follow-up to the Hitchcock classic pulling off a near impossible feat. Interesting in that it's so character driven which is unusual for a horror movie. Format: DVD, personal collection.

October 28(6 hours, 29 minutes watched) [Witchcraft theme night]97. Burn, Witch, Burn* + (1962, 90 minutes) 9.5/10 Energetic witchcraft film with constant plot movement filled with a lot of macabra content for the running time. So far the best film I've seen this month. Format: Online streaming, Netflix. 98. Lorna the Exorcist* + (1974, 81 minutes) 8/10 Propelled by a strong lead actress in an unrelenting role this sleazy filth is an entertaining Faustus twist. I was not expecting the nudity to be so explicit but the fake lesbian scenes are funny. Format: DVD, rental. 99. Dr Renault's Secret* (1942, 58 minutes) 3/10 Dated premise that too much resembled a poor man's Frankenstein. Format: DVD, rental (library). 100. Fiend Without a Face* (1958, 74 minutes) 5/10 Overlong set-up takes too long to get to the amazing paydirt stop motion creature effects which almost redeem the film entirely in being so awesome but too little too late. Fast forward to the end.[/COLOR][COLOR=Gray] Format: DVD, rental (library). 101. The Bleeding House* (2011, 86 minutes) 5/10 Clever gutsy premise with some effective although low budget poorly acted execution. Format: Online streaming, Netflix.

October 29(5 hours, 42 minutes watched)102. Amusement* (2008, 85 minutes) 3/10 Lazy effort with ineffective nonsensical gore for cheap shocks neutered due to awkward set-up heavily cloning better films. Format: Online streaming, Netflix. 103. The Possession of David O'Reilly* (2010, 87 minutes) 7.5/10 Great premise with tense supernatural action. Format: Online streaming, Netflix. 104. 13 Ghosts* (1960, 85 minutes) 6/10 Gimmicky but surprisingly good. I enjoyed the quirky ghosts and liked this better than the remake. Format: DVD, library. 105. Paranormal Activity 3* (2011, 85 minutes) 5/10 Faithfully follows the .mythos of the first two and found footage gimmick to a fault impairing the pacing by limiting set-up and stretching plausibility of homemade taping. Once it picks up after a boring first half it adds a nice touch to the franchise while remaining tense and cryptic. Format: Theater screening, Cinemark.

October 30(10 hours, 48 minutes watched) [Demonic/Satanic theme night]106. The Exorcist (The Version You've Never Seen) + (1973, 132 minutes) 7.5/10 Although probably not as horrifying to me today as it was when it first came out I admire the artistry and seriousness in how the supernatural is presented and compared with science versus religion. Format: DVD, personal collection.107. The Brain That Wouldn't Die * (1962, 82 minutes) 8.5/10 Although lacking subtlety and too preachy I loved the themes of fidelity and search for cosmetic beauty. A slightly sleazier but still tame bend on Frankenstein. Format: Online streaming, Netflix. 108. Deathdream (1974, 88 minutes) 7/10 Amazing ending but got off to a slower start. Andy is an awkward character, perhaps intentionally. Format: DVD, personal collection. 109. The Prophecy III: The Ascent * + (2000, 84 minutes) 5/10 Popcorn action horror mis-step that distills an epic heaven/hell battle down to a two man conflict and downgrades Christopher Walken to a supporting role; why? Format: DVD, personal collection. 110. The Prophecy (IV): Uprising * + (2005, 88 minutes) 3/10 Awkard plot devices result in assorted characters narrating the plot along without much immediacy (for example a major plot point comes via reading line for line online chatroom dialogue). There is no viewer surrogate or attempt to engage other than to assume the material is cool enough on it's own to compell viewing; not sure I can work up the nerve for the follow-up. Format: DVD, personal collection. 111. Satan's Blood * + (1978, 82 minutes) 8/10 Amazing film that although slow to start ratchets up the tension in an atmospheric and rewarding way; much better than I thought it would be twisted with graphic gore and softcore sex. Format: DVD, personal collection. 112. Monsters Inc (2001, 92 minutes) 4.5/10 Light hearted and playful but for some reason never struck a cord with me. Format: DVD, library.

October 31(6 hours, 05 minutes watched) [Halloween setting theme night]113. Halloween 4: The Retun of Michael Meyers * + (1988, 88 minutes) 5.5/10 .More large scale than the original two involving more characters but it felt like Meyers had less of a presence. The ending was great but not original. Format: DVD, personal collection. xxx. The Haunted Castle (1986) / The Black Imp (1905) / Frankenstein (1910) * + (1896-1910, ~16 minutes) -/10 . I think the older turn of the centure movies would be more interesting presented with documentary information or more historical context. The Black Imp was one of the more interesting films I've seen from 1900s. Format: Online streaming, Youtube (Haunted Castle, Black Imp) & Archive.org (Frankenstein 1910). 114. Trick 'R Treat * + (2007, 82 minutes) 5.5/10 TrT is a mediocre movie propelled by strong seasonal/Halloween dressing and good story overlap. Format: DVD, personal collection. 115. Hell Night * + (1981, 101 minutes) 4.5/10 Maybe by this point I’ve become jaded but aside from Linda Blair and the awesomely strange Victorian dress this one lulled along at times falling back on some slasher conventions but never really shining. It was never fast paced enough to be interesting and the actors were not good enough to keep it floating. I might need to re-watch this to see if I can appreciate it more Format: Online streaming, Netflix. 116. Near Dark (1987, 94 minutes)8x/10 A horror classic that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Kathyrn Bigelow has done some promising things here and with Point Break that should have given her Academy Award considerations years ago. The main character is a little whiny and there is a magical plot turn that stretches a bit but good pacing and epic scale. Format: Online streaming, Netflix.

I don't expect to finish the checklist, much less reach 100 (50ish perhaps), so I think I shall simply aim to please myself. I'm going to try to include trailers for everything I watch.

September 30, 2011 (11:00 pm CST (12:00 EST))
1. Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983) - DVD
What better way to start the Challenge than with a movie that celebrates the season as well as the month. It's a movie about dreams and regrets and using them to destroy a person. Jason Robards and Jonathan Pryce are both great in this and the language is like velvet.

Spoiler:

October 1, 2011
2. Night of the Living Dorks (2004) - DVD - First Time Viewing
Raunchy German teen comedy - with zombies. Three affable high school losers get covered with zombie ashes, die in a bong perpetrated crash and find themselves resurrected as the undead. They use their new zombie powers to get a little payback. Avoid the English dub. Nothing particularly original, kinda recalls teen sex comedies from the 80's & 90's, just with zombies. I think someone (writer, director...) has seen Shaolin Soccer. If you've seen Shaolin Soccer, you'll know it when you see it.

Spoiler:

3.The Halloween Tree (1993) - Youtube
Animated adaption of Bradbury's paean to Halloween. The animation looked kinda shoddy even back in '93 (thank you Hanna-Barbera). This is one kids' cartoon that doesn't just look death in the face, it wallows in it as it explores where Halloween came from and what it means.
4.The Haunted Cop Shop (1987) - DVD
Jacky Cheung and Ricky Hui headline this HK horror comedy. During the Hungry Ghost Festival a Japanese spirit escapes from the afterlife, becoming a powerful vampire who proceeds to wreak havoc until a pair of bumbling detectives step up to the chase. Fun bit of Eighties HK cinema. Keeps up a relentless pace of gags and gore. Well, mostly gags and a couple of pinches of gore. Even with all the comedy there are some creepy, scary moments.

Spoiler:

(Spoilers)

October 2, 2011
5.[REC] (2007) - DVD - First Time Viewing
A Spanish tv reporter and her camera man get trapped in a apartment building where a disease is turning people into murderous maniacs. Effective claustrophobic chiller.

Spoiler:

6.The Woman in Black (1989) - DVD - First Time Viewing
A young lawyer is sent to Eel Marsh House to deal with the estate of its deceased owner. While there he encounters something terrible, with dire consequences.
7.It! (1967) - DVD
Roddy McDowal plays a sympathetic nutter that gains control over a powerful humanoid artifact. Good creature feature.

October 3, 2011
8.Aaah! Zombies!! (2007) - Hulu - First TimeViewing
The adventures of a group of 20-somethings who succumb to a zombie breakout. Goofy laughs and some heartfelt moments.

Spoiler:

9. Bats (1999) - DVD
Bats run amok in a Texas border town, killing everything in their flight path. I guess it qualifies as a guilty pleasure, but I've always though it was an underrated creature feature. The trailer doesn't do it any favors.

11.Scared Stiff (1953) - YoutubeGhost Breakers remake with Dean & Jerry. I give the edge to Ghost Breakers. Dean Breaking into song every 8 minutes or so for 3/4s of the movie didn't help. Missed Paulette Goddard too and Jerry's shtick has helped me appreciate Willie Best's subtle performance. The B&W cinematography tended to reflect their eras. Not bad, but not up to the original.

Spoiler:

October 5, 2011
12.The Goodies DVD - 'Cecily' (1970) - 30 minutes - First Time Viewing - The Goodies babysit a young girl who's under a curse..? Some good gags but ultimately falls flat. You'd think the Goodies would've had a good horror spoof in them.Addams Family DVD - 'Halloween - Addam's Style' (1965) - 30 minutes - A Scrooge tells Wedsnday that there's no such things as witches on Halloween. The only Halloween episode for the Addam's Family. Good.The Outer Limits DVD - 'The Forms of Things Unknown' (1964) - 1 hour - Two women murder a sleazy blackmailer, who is then brought back to life. Creepy Outer Limits episode that had to have been at least partially informed by Diabolique.
13.Sapphire and Steel DVD - 'The Man Without A Face' - Four parts - (1981) - Sapphire and Steel face one of their most powerful foes, a creature who exists in every photograph ever taken. Unsettling, just really unsettling.

Spoiler:

October 6, 2011
14.Dead & Buried (1981) - DVD
A small town sheriff's life gradually unwinds as he is confronted by a rash of inexplicable murders. Slow burn all the way to the down-beat ending.

Spoiler:

15. Mystery Science Theater DVD - The Giant Spider Invasion (1997/1975)
Spiders from another universe invade white trash in Wisconsin. Mike and the bots both try to survive this dog and invading pods.

October 7, 2011
16.Vampire Circus (1972) - DVD
The circus from hell arrives in a be-plagued town to wreak vengeance for a slain vampire. Superior late period Hammer movie.

Spoiler:

October 8, 2011
17.Warlock (1989) - DVD
A 16th century warlock arrives in the late 20th century to find the Grim grimoire and undo creation. The first and best of the Warlock movies. Deserves a release in it's OAR.

Spoiler:

18.Next of Kin (1982) - DVD - First Time Viewing
Things start turning deadly weird after a young woman inherits an old folks home from her mother. Not what I expected. Low key, but it delivers in the end.

Spoiler:

19.The Monster That Challenged The World (1954) - DVD
Giant prehistoric mollusks are unearthed by an earthquake and proceed to use the local beaches as a buffet, much to the Navy's displeasure. Solid '50s creature feature. There's just something about those giant mollusks that get under my skin. Maybe it's the eyes. I dunno, I just find them icky disgusting. So, well done to the creature effects guys, I guess.

Spoiler:

October 9, 2011
20.Sexton Blake and the Hooded Terror (1932) - Hulu - First Time Viewing
Sexton Blake comes up against international crime boss The Snake and his organization, the Black Quorum. Pretty good Sexton Blake adventure, though the horror elements are light and mostly towards the end of the movie.
21.Dr Terrible's House of Horror - DVD - 'And Now the Fearing', 'Frenzy of Tongs', 'Curse of the Blood of the Lizard of Doom', 'Scream Satan Scream!' - (2001)
Under-appreciated horror/comedy series starring Steve Coogan. The four episodes here parody various studio styles and movies. If you're any kind of student of British horror, this is a must buy.

Spoiler:

October 10, 2011
22.From Hell (2001) - DVD - First Time Viewing
An Scotland Yard Inspector finds intrigue and conspiracy as he pursues Jack the Ripper. For all the lack of any real gore, it is a difficult movie to sit through.

Spoiler:

23.The 'burbs (1989) - DVD
During a man's stay home vacation his lunatic neighbors try to convince him that his new next door neighbors up to no good. Tom Hank's horror movie.

25.The Cat (1992) - DVD
Author/adventurer Wisely pursues a some aliens who are trying to destroy an inimical life-form. It's uneven, but the monster action is pretty good and there's a dog and cat fight that has to be seen to be believed. As Wisely movies go, there are better and worse.

Spoiler:

October 12, 2011
26.Silk (2006) - DVD - First Time Viewing
An inventor of an anti-gravity device uses it to see and manipulate a ghost. Interesting take on ghosts. The directors original ending was a lot darker and less ambiguous than what the studio (probably) made him use.

Spoiler:

27.Lady Frankenstein (1971) - DVD - First Time Viewing
After Doctor Frankenstein's creation kills him, his daughter follows in his footsteps. Interesting variation on Frankenstein, maybe with a couple of dashes of Bride mixed in. No real gore to speak of, but there is some skin.

Spoiler:

October 13, 2011
28.Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) - DVD
Wallace & Gromit try to protect the veg festival from the were-rabbit. Brilliant movie. As far as horror comedies go it's up there with Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein.

Spoiler:

29.We're Going to Eat You (1980) - DVD
Central Surveillance Agent 999 visits the island of misfit cannibals in his pursuit of the bandit Rolex. Early Tsui Hark movie, his only horror comedy. There's plenty of fine action with a healthy dollop of gore and gallows humour.

Spoiler:

October 14, 2011
30.Weird Woman (1944) - DVD - First Time Viewing
A professor's new bride brings a bit of jungle hoodoo back to a college town. Not as good as Night of the Eagle, but it's still pretty good.

Spoiler:

October 16, 2011
31.Exorcist Master (1993) - DVD
A Chinese village is plagued by a western vampire when a church is re-opened. Lam Ching Ying busts western vampires nineteen years after Peter Cushing did in China.

Spoiler:

32.Corpse Mania (1981) - DVD - First Time Viewing
A nut with a taste for dead courtesans is making life difficult for a police detective. Splatter, gore and other unpleasantness abound in this Shaw flick.

October 17, 2011
33.I Vampiri (1956) - DVD
The blood-drained corpses of beautiful young women are being found around Paris. Very early Mario Bava, Italian horror movie. Lot's of atmosphere.

October 18, 2011
35.Higanjima: Escape From Vampire Island (2009) - DVD - First Time Viewing
A highschooler and his five friends travel to a vampire infested island to rescue his brother, who disappeared there for two years earlier. Pretty good Japanese vampire flick; guilty of some of the usual sins of popular Japanese film making. Still, there's plenty of action, even if the cgi blood is still as unconvincing as ever.

Spoiler:

October 19, 2011
36.Queen of Spades (1949) - DVD - First Time Viewing
A Russian captain pursues his desires to the edge of madness and beyond. Atmospheric tale of Russian murder and madness.

Spoiler:

October 20, 2011
37.Horror Hospital (1973) - DVD - First Time Viewing
Two young Londoners end up in the country at the spa from hell. Good campy fun. The coda was nonsensical though.

Spoiler:

October 21, 2011
38.Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010) - DVD
More of the adventures of Alice in zombieland. It's not high art, but who said it needed to be?

Spoiler:

October 22, 2011
39.House 2: The Second Story (1987) - DVD
A man and his friend go universe hopping while protecting a magical crystal skull. House's gonzo first sequel. Love the stop motion animation and puppet work.

Spoiler:

40.Island of Terror (1966) - DVD
Cancer researchers create a silicon based life form with a taste for human bones on an isolated Irish island. Likable horror/sci-fi flick with Peter Cushing and Edward Judd and directed by Terrence Fisher.

Spoiler:

October 23, 2011
41.Eight legged Freaks (2002) - DVD
Industrial waste makes spiders grow to gigantic size who then use the nearby town as a smörgåsbord. For all its flaws it's one of the better creature features made in the last dozen years.

Spoiler:

October 24, 2011
42.Dracula (1974) - DVD
Dan Curtis' take on Dracula. A lavish (for the time) tv production. Palance's Dracula retains enough of his humanity to make his actions that much more monstrous.

Spoiler:

October 26, 2011
43.Brides of Dracula (1960) - DVD
One of Dracula's disciples starts building a harem when he is released from his imprisonment. Cushing is just really great in this movie.

October 28, 2011
46.The House in Nightmare Park (1977) - Youtube - First Time Viewing
A actor is invited to a country manor by people with ulterior motives. Good horror comedy, with Frankie Howerd and Ray Milland, that plays the horror straight.

October 29, 2011
47.Blade: Trinity (2004) - DVD - First Time Viewing
Blade, the human/vampire hybrid battles Dracula. Better than I had hoped.

October 30, 2011
50.Coraline (2009) - DVD - 3-D version
Young Coraline's new apartment contains a door that leads to adventure and danger. A classic and the 3-D version is actually worth sitting through.

Spoiler:

October 31, 2011
51.Sherlock Holmes in The Woman in Green (1945) - DVD
Someone is murdering young women in London and Sherlock Holmes joins the case. Classic duo of Basil Rathbone and Comedy Rel---Nigel Bruce.

Watch films in at least three languages other than English:
--- First language, (German), (Night of the Living Dorks).
--- Second language, (Spanish), ([REC]).
--- Third language, (Cantonese), (Magic Cop).

October 1
1. Hausu (1977)Blu-Ray--Strange doesn't even begin to describe Hausu. Evil cats, killer pianos, it's like a candy-colored nightmare with the same illogic you find in bad dreams-
2. Eye of the Devil (1966). DVD--Basically covers the same territory as The Wicker Man, with Deborah Kerr discovering that her husband, a French aristocrat played by David Niven, is involved with pagan rites to restore his estate's vineyards.
3. The Pack (2010). Netflix --A hitchhiker lures a young woman to a restaurant where she might be the main course for a pack (hence the title) of flesh-eating monsters. Takes a while to get going, but moves fast when the creatures show up.
4. Tempo di Reazione (Reaction Time) (2011). Online--A family is barricaded inside a house to avoid being burned to death by a caustic fog; way too much handheld camera action in this one. I found this very difficult to sit through; slow, boring, talky.
5. Quicksilver Highway (1997). DVD--I bought this years ago for $2 when Suncoast shut down, and now I've finally dusted it off for this challenge. Not that bad, although the talking hands in the second story made me giggle.
6. Santa Sangre. (1989). Netflix--I love Jodorowsky's sense of the surreal, but despite the film's grotesqueries I'm not certain it's what I'd call "horror".

October 2
7. Curse of the Crimson Altar (UK)/ The Crimson Cult (USA). (1967). Netflix--Given that this movie has both Christopher Lee and Boris Karloff in the credits, I was hoping to find a lost classic, but this is at best a decent drive-in flick. I'd buy it on DVD (or more likely, DVD-R these days), but this could have been a lot better
8. The Blair Witch Project (1999). TV--The granddaddy of the "found footage" horror film. Given how huge a hit TBWP was at the time, I'm surprised the cast never capitalized on their success.
9. Believers (2007). TV--What if the Heaven's Gate cult had turned out to be . . . right?
10. [*REC] (2007). DVD--Eerie as hell, even after all these years.
11. Rabid (1977). DVD--Some people tend to dismiss Cronenberg's early horror films as low-budget hackwork, but despite its age and low-budget, it still works for me.
12. 28 Days Later (2003). DVD--One aspect of this film that sets it apart is the way its characters deal with the practical aspects of a post-apocalyptic world, e.g., gathering rain in pans on the roof and piling grocery trolleys to barricade themselves in.
13. Quarantine 2: Terminal (2010). Netflix --For a DTV release, this sequel to the lukewarm Quarantine works really well.

October 3
14. Orca, the Killer Whale (1977). YouTube--Only the 70s could have produced this sentimental load of anthropomorphic nonsense. The whale is really the hero in this film, playing the William Devane role from Rolling Thunder
15. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). (with commentary) DVD--Robert Englund will always the one and only Freddy Kruger.
16. Never Sleep Again (2010) DVD--Probably the most exhaustive look at a horror series ever produced. And what was up with the S/M lesbian from NoES 6?

October 4
17. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1932). TV--Frederick March really steps out of his usual leading man roles to play this role--definitely a pre-Code.
18. Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971). StageVu--The poster for this film and its title are distinctive and deceptive, promising a straightforward scare ride. However, LSJtD's strength is its ambiguity; is Jessica the victim of an undead spectre, or of her own tottery mental health? Like other obscure 70s drive-in horror films, this one has its own cult following, but it deserves a wider audience.
19. Mark of the Devil (1972). Netflix--I remember seeing the ads for this when I was a kid: "The most violent film ever made! Guaranteed to make you vomit!" It turns out to be a low-budget German import, clearly trying to imitate Witchfinder General, as it piles on the ultraviolence while depicting the supposedly historically accurate activities of a band of witchhunters in 18th-century Austria, who spend most of the movie tormenting young women in a variety of fiendish ways. The film tries to have it both ways, moralizing about the victimization of women while luridly savoring their torture.
20. The Exorcist (1972). DVD--For me, William Friedkin is an uneven director, but The Exorcist is the perfect horror film, the best thing he has ever done.
21. Frogs (1972). DVD--Another movie that I was dying to see when I was a kid. You had to wonder what the hell had happened to Ray Milland's career that he was making these AIP horror flicks. Needs more shirtless Sam Elliott.

October 5
22. Dying Breed (2008). Netflix--A quartet of young Australians try to find remnants of an extinct species in rural Tasmania, but find themselves on the menu of a family of cannibals instead. Sadly, this was a boring slog with a "twist" ending I could see coming from a mile away.
23. Corruption (1968).TV--I've had this on the DVR since mid-September. Peter Cushing stars in a ripoff of Franju's Eyes Without a Face set in Swinging London.
24. The Horde (2010). Netflix--A blend of crime thriller with zombies set in one of the crumbing housing developments that ring Paris, The Horde really accelerates the ol' adrenaline, along with some social comment on race and class in French society.

October 6
25. A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1986). DVD--Tapping into the sexual confusion that accompanies adolescence was a good idea, but their big mistake is bringing Freddy into the real world, when his strength lies in attacking kids in their dreams.
26. Devil Times Five (1974). StageVu--I'm surprised I had never heard of this 70s drive-in nasty, in which 5 psychopathic tykes make sushi out of some snowbound vacationers.
27. Pharoah's Curse (1956). Netflix--You'd think a vampire mummy would be a lot more interesting, but this really just plods so badly it makes Boris Karloff's Mummy look like Jesse Owens.
28. Dead & Buried (1981). DVD--An unknown zombie treasure from the early 80s. The final reveal still creeps me out.
29. Once Bitten (1984). TV--A 1980s artifact that has not aged well at all, but it's still a nostalgic blast to see Jim Carrey in his early 20s at the start of his career.

October 7
30. Vampire Circus (1972). Blu-Ray--Despite the problems with the production that left some scenes unfilmed, Vampire Circus is a marvelously atmospheric horror movie that evokes the MittelEuropa feel of 1930s Universal films with the heaving sexuality that defined Hammer.
31. Trollhunter (2010). Netflix--The "found footage" genre is pretty well played out, but I really enjoyed this flick. The FX dept. managed to make Arthur Rackham's fairy tale trolls look amazingly real.

October 8
32. The Navy vs. the Night Monsters (1965). StageVu--A title like THE NAVY VS THE NIGHT MONSTERS promises awesome 60s goodness. What you get, though, is a warmed-over ripoff of Day of the Triffids when prehistoric carnivorous trees are brought from Antarctica to a Pacific island, and hilarity ensues.
33. The Legacy (1978). StageVu--I keep wanting to like this movie more than I do. It's Agatha Christie's "10 Little Indians" with a Satanic twist, but it just leaves me feeling like something's missing.
34. Evilspeak (1981). StageVu--Clint Howard uses his computer to summon the powers of Satan! V. silly stuff from the pre-Internet era. All he needs to do is find a EULA--those are clearly the work of Beelzebub.
35. Event Horizon (1997). DVD--A cross between Solaris and Hellraiser, this still works amazingly well.
36. Deep Rising (1997). DVD--Having been on cruises and seen the kinds of people who book them, I'm rooting for the monsters. BTW, desperately in need of a Blu upgrade.
37. [*REC 2] (2009). StageVu--I didn't think that there was any way for a sequel to [*REC] to be any good, but this rocks! I like the double-down on the demonic possession and the ending really was a surprise.

October 9
37. Kuroneko (The Black Cat) (1968). Hulu--From the director of Onibaba comes this spectacularly gruesome ghost story set in Heian-era Japan. I absolutely loved this movie; it is on my To Buy list for next month's Criterion sale.
38. Onibaba (1964). DVD--Kaneto Shindo's other horror masterpiece with the same mother-daughter dynamic as Kuroneko. There's something absolutely hypnotic in the long shots of the grass waving in the wind.
39. Yogen (Premonition) (2004). Netflix--Online film critics have trashed this film, bit it scared me. Good stuff.

October 10
40. Village of the Damned (1960). DVD--The stillness of the children and their eerily glowing eyes still creepify me today.
41. Village of the Damned (1995). DVD--Not a bad movie in itself, but it pales compared to the original. I really disliked the cheap, sappy "little alien kid learns what it means . . . to love!" inserted into the film.
42. The Grapes of Death (1978). StageVu.--Two of my favorite things: wine and zombies.

October 11
43. The Wolf Man (1941). DVD--Watching the Universal classics is as comforting as hot cocoa on a snowy day. All I have to do is see the old crystalline Universal logo, and I'm 10 years old again, staying up late to watch Creature Feature. It's harder to buy Lon Chaney Jr., as Claude Rains's son, though.
44. Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943) DVD--Two great tastes that taste great together. It lacks the tragic grandeur of TWM, but hey, Frankenstein fights the Wolf Man!
45. Werewolf of London (1935). DVD--Slightly inferior to the Lon Chaney film 6 years later, but well worth watching.
46. House of Dracula (1945). DVD--Poor Larry Talbot can't catch a break.
47. The Howling (1981). DVD--Hard to think that The Doctor from Star Trek: Voyager played a serial killer-werewolf 15 years before.
48. Dog Soldiers. DVD--Terrific blend of action and horror with some left curves, plus it has Jason Isaacs, Kevin McKidd, and Sean Pertwee, threee of the hottest men in British cinema.

October 12
49. Stephen King's Graveyard Shift (1990). DVD--I'm pretty sure Stephen King did not want his name on this flick because it's a low-budget and low-wattage. OTOH, it's the kind of shoddy horror flick that one could watch on HBO at 2 am and have a pretty fun time.
50. Creepshow (1982). DVD--As much as I love the old EC Comics horror titles, I've seen Creepshow so many times that it has become hard to sit through. Best Segment: the one with Adrienne Barbeau; Worst Segment: the one with Stephen King.
51. Stephen King's Sleepwalkers (1992). DVD--I have a theory that dodgy film makers put King's name in the title to hide the cruddiness of the attached movie. Sleepwalkers isn't that bad, but, Lord, it ain't good.
52. Phantom of the Paradise (1974). DVD--Although PofP's look and feel are hopeless mired in the early 70s, Paul Williams's music makes this a classic. Just watch Jessica Harper sing Old Souls--magical.

October 13
53. The Tunnel (2011). YouTube--V. disappointing. News crew explores tunnels under Sydney, find monsters. There are some really creepy, claustrophobic scenes, but the tension is ruined by narration and interviews that destroy the mood of the film and give away who lives and dies.
54. Elvira's Movie Macabre: The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973). Hulu--Lee should have stopped 2 movies ago; this is just awful.

October 14
55. Nosferatu (1922). TV--You know, maybe Max Schreck really was a vampire. . .
56. The Sixth Sense (1999) DVD--M. Night Shymalan had at least one good film in him.
57. From Beyond (1987) DVD--From the very first scene, this movie grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go, with prectically Cronenbergesque body horror.
58. Supernatural, "The Girl Next Door"/ "Defending Your Life"
59. Sauna (2008). YouTube--I really enjoyed this film, but the ending confused me. Were the people in the village his victims?

October 15
60. The Devil Rides Out (UK)/The Devil's Bride (US) (1968). YouTube--Chrisropher Lee as a good guy for once fighting the powers of darkness for the souls of a young couple. Starz/Anchor Bay needs to release this on Blu-Ray; it's one of the best British horror films.
61. Attack of the Crab Monsters. (1957). YouTube--Another Corman film that I somehow missed seeing as a kid. Not that bad--I think Doctor Who lifted the idea of a monster talking with a stolen brain in this past season's Weeping Angels episodes.
62. Ghostbusters (1984) DVD--God, this makes me feel old.
63. Scary Movie 2 (2001) DVD--My boyfriend loves this movie, and it's the least worst of the Friedman/ Seltzer ouevre.
64. Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (2006). Hulu--I guess you just have to be in the right mood to watch Troma movies. I ought to get a medal for sitting through this.
65. Final Destination 2 (2003) DVD--Probably my favorite of the series.

October 16
66. Slugs (1988). YouTube--The 80s really were a golden age for low-budget horror flicks. This film is gross, gory, and hella fun.
67. Who Saw Her Die? (1973). Netflix--I'm not completely sure gialli count as horror, but the crimes in this film are pretty damn horrific. GREAT Ennio Morricone score, and George Lazenby dubbed by some American actor.
68. The Omen (1976). Blu-Ray--The Latin used in the creepy chant that recurs as a dramatic motif is really bad, basically "we drink the blood, we eat the flesh" over and over.
69. The Walking Dead, "What Lies Ahead"--A decent start to the 2nd season. They need to smarten up or they are going to be zombie chow.

October 17
70. From Beyond the Grave (1974). Stage-Vu--One of the better Amicus horror anthologies.
71. Asylum (1972). AMC--One difference between Britain and the US is that classically trained actors in the UK can do Shakespeare one day and then act in low-budget horror the next. Here we segregate actors in TV, movies, or stage.

October 18
72. Child's Play (1988). DVD--I watched the DVD on my computer with a director's commentary dl'd from IconsofFright.com. The moderator talked over Tom Holland too much, but it was very informative nonetheless.
73. Pumpkinhead (1987). Stage-Vu--Despite the film's weaknesses, Lance Henriksen's performance is enough to redeem it.
74. Hellraiser (1987) DVD--This scared the bejeezus out of me when I saw it in the theater.
75. Candyman (1989). DVD--Great leads, wonderful source material from Clive Barker, and Phillip Glass's eerie score make this a perfect jewel of a film.
76. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973). DVD-R--Why couldn't Warner have put this out as a pressed DVD?

October 19
77. The Stepfather (1987). YouTube--Who knew Locke used to be hot? Another movie I missed over the years. Good stuff.
78. Tales from the Crypt Season 5, Disc 2Two for the Show
House of Horror
Well Cooked Hams
Creep Course
79. Tales from the Crypt Season 5 Disc 3Came the Dawn
Oil's Well that Ends Well
Halfway Horrible
Til Death Do We Part

October 20
80. Return of the Vampire (1944). Stage-Vu-Columbia ripping off Universal monsters (Dracula and The Wolf Man), even using Lugosi as the vampire and a Lon Chaney Jr look-alike as the werewolf.
81. Life Blood (2009). Netflix-So God turns a lesbian couple into vampire avengers of evil. This film squandered an interesting premise.
82. Interview with the Vampire (1994) DVD--Still holds up. I'm not a fan of Anne Rice overall, but this is a favorite.

October 21
83. Dawn of the Dead (2004) Blu-Ray--The first 8 minutes before the credits make a terrific horror film on their own. Not a fan of fast zombies, and Zach Snyder tossed Romero's cultural critique for sheer adrenaline rush, but I still enjoy the remake, although it is not even close to the awesomeness of Romero's original.
84. Fright Night (1985). DVD--I watched this with the director and cast commentary from Icons of Fright. Terrific movie, and it really deserves a remaster on Blu.
85. Child's Play 2 (1990). TV--I love the first movie, and this sequel, while a step down in quality, has a lot of fun with Chuckie.
86. Child's Play 3 (1991). TV--This is not as awful as the later sequels, but the military school setup is lame. Good death scenes, though.
87. In the Mouth of Madness (1995). DVD--For my money the best Lovecraft pastiche ever.

October 22
88. A Bucket of Blood (1959). Archive.org--A satire of the beat movement might as well have been made in the Stone Age, but despite its age and its low-budget, this is an oddly entertaining movie. Dick Miller had a definite talent for comedy, and game show host Bert Convy has a role as one of Miller's victims.
89. Day of the Dead (1985). DVD--An underappreciated Romero film, DoTd is probably my favorite of his zombie films next to Dawn.

October 23
90. Bloody Pit of Horror(1965). Archive.org--Pointless Eurotrash exercise in sadism, relieved only by shirtless Mickey Hargitay as The Crimson Executioner (which would make a great WWE character)
91. The Strange Door (1955). DVD--Another terrific discovery. Despite its billing on the DVD case as a Karloff starring role, this is really Charles Laughton's movie, playing an insane nobleman.
92. The Legend of Hell House (1973). DVD--I've seen it at least a dozen times, and it never fails to scare me. The Mount Everest of haunted house movies.
93. Stake Land (2010). Blu-Ray--Why can't studios make movies like this? I'd have dumped the voiceover, but who couldn't love a post-apocalyptic vampire film?
94. Supernatural, "Shut Up, Dr. Phil"/ The Walking Dead, "Bloodletting"

October 24
95. Island of Lost Souls (1932). YouTube--The Criterion Blu-ray comes out tomorrow, so this is a good opportunity to revisit a newly rediscovered pre-Code classic. I think the last time I saw this must have been the early 70s on the latenight Creature Feature on WSM channel 6 out of Nashville.
96. C.H.U.D. (1984). YouTube--It's interesting that so many horror film creators in the 80s used Reagan-era deregulation and corruption as subtext.
97. Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight (1995). DVD--I'm not a fan of Billy Zane ordinarily, but he is the best part of DK, keeping tongue very much in cheek.
98. Tales from the Crypt Presents: Bordello of Blood (1996). DVD--I really can't stand Dennis Miller, but this is still worth watching.

October 25
99. The Masque of the Red Death (1964). DVD--One of the few Corman films that ascends to the realm of art.
100. Theater of Blood (1973). DVD--Vincent Price and Elizabethan tragedy.
101. House on Haunted Hill (1958).Hulu--William Castle was only an adequate director, but a nonpareil showman.
102. Dr. Phibes Rises AgainDVD--Amazingly, a sequel every bit as good as the original. Having Robert Quarry and Vincent Price in the same film definitely helps.
103. Zombies, A Living History (2011). TV--Entertaining doc with Max Brooks, J.L. Bourne, and other zombie authors and experts

October 26
104. Cry of the Werewolf (1944)TV--Columbia making yet another Poverty Row production with a stupid script, poor direction, and lousy acting. Guess they must have rationed talent during WWII as well.
105. Return of the Living Dead (1985). DVD--I absolutely love this movie! Silly, scary, gory, and a time capsule of my youth.
106. The Black Belly of the Tarantula (1971)Netflix--I wasn't sure what to expect from this, but it's an OK giallo, with yet another interesting Ennio Morricone score.

October 27
107. The Man without a Body (1957)Netflix--Terrible, low-budget tale of a dying billionaire who wants the brain of Nostradamus transferred into his body. Avoid.
108. Sh! The Octopus (1937)WBshop Streaming--Mildly amusing "old dark house" B-picture starring several Warner second-string contract players with a truly stupid multiple twist ending.
109. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962). DVD--Bette Davis and Joan Crawford transfer their real-life enmity (they were two spiteful bitches) into movie magic.
110. Repulsion (1967)YouTube--Whatever his faults, Polanski is a brilliant director. Denueve's collapse into madness is devastating to witness.
111. Society (1989) DVD--A body horror film in which the protagonist discovers that his family, part of the wealthy elite, are shape-shifting monsters who feed on the working class. In the light of Occupy Wall Street and the events in Oakland, this 2-decade-old anti-Reaganism social commentary is as relevant as ever.
112. Spontaneous Combustion (1990) DVD--This low-rent version of Firestarter would have been better viewed in a 42nd Street theater. It's amazing how fast Tobe Hooper's career crashed and burned in the 1980s.
113. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown/ Monsters Crash the Pajama Party/ The Paul Lynde Halloween Special

October 28
114. Rosemary's Baby (1968). DVD--There's no way a classic like this could be made today. Not only would an ultrasound reveal that Rosemary is carrying the Antichrist, her husband is such a sexist jerk that no woman in New York would have married him.
115. Burn, Witch, Burn (US)/ Night of the Eagle (UK) (1961) Netflix--Brilliantly atmospheric thriller about witchcraft in a college faculty. One of my all-time favorites.
116. Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979). DVD-- Werner Herzog's remake of the Murnau classic blew me away when I saw it in the theater back in the day, and 32 years later it's still a remarkable film.

October 29
117. MST3K--Revenge of the Creature (1955). YouTube--Sigh. I remember when Sci-Fi Channel had actual sci-fi shows before it became the Wrestling/ Ghost Shows channel.
118. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987). DVD--Sadly, this marks the point where Freddie ceases to be scary and becomes more of a wisecracker.
119. The Skeleton Key (2005). DVD--The movie takes its time to build up steam, but the last 45 minutes are electrifying.
120. The Believers (1987). DVD--Not to be confused with similarly titled Entry #9, this santeria tale features an appearance by a pre-L.A. Law Jimmy Smits, and stars Martin Sheen as a police psychiatrist who finds himself drawn into Caribbean black magic. Terrific flick.

October 30
121. Phantasm (1979). DVD--Despite a micro-budget and some uneven acting, there is something surreal about this film that plays like you're watching a nightmare unfold, with the same kind of dream logic.
122. Dawn of the Dead (1979). DVD--The original and the best.
123. The Ghost (1963). YouTube--There's something about dubbing dialogue that kills the reality of a film for me, Give me subtitles. The Ghost is OK, not great.
124. Supernatural, "Slash Fiction"/ The Walking Dead, "Save the Last One"
125. Tales from the Hood (1995). TV--A horror anthology flick 20 years late to the blaxploitation fad, in which Linc from The Mod Squad plays a funeral home director who narrates a trio of ghoulish tales to a captive thug audience.

October 31
126. Trick 'r Treat (2007). Blu-Ray--A Halloween classic. Finally got my bf to watch it with me.
127. The Wicker Man (1973). DVD--A film that inspires conversations about faith and conscience
128. The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1965). TV--Hokey but fun Hammer drive-in fodder.
129. Lady in White (1988). DVD--Still scary--the death of the little girl is still difficult to watch.
130. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). DVD--Mandatory Halloween viewing, although it's still more fun in a theater with a crowd throwing rice, toilet paper, and toast.

November 1: Midnight to dawn
131. The Gravedancers (2005) DVD--If the urge strikes you to get drunk and dance in a graveyard, don't. One of the few films in the After Dark series that I like enough to own, especially with yummy pre-Prison Break Dominic Purcell.
132. Trick or Treat (1986). YouTube --The 1980s, when the biggest threat to the Republic was mediocre hair metal. A teen loser (Marc Price, best known as Skippy from the 80's sitcom Family Ties) who idolizes a dead rocker unwittingly summons his spirit from Hell, and hilarity ensues. With cameos by the Blizzard of Ozz as a televangelist and Gene Simmons as a DJ.

10/25/11
96. Dawn of the Son of the Bride of the Return of the Revenge of the Terror of the Attack of the Evil, Mutant, Alien, Flesh Eating, Hellbound, Zombified Living Dead Part 2: In Shocking 2-D
97. Altitude
98. Santa's Slay
99. Blair Witch Projects
100. Blair witch projects 2: book of shadows